Sonates en trio Opus 1

Description

For this recording dedicated to the music of Buxtehude, the founder of the Arcangelo ensemble, Jonathan Cohen, is joined by a stellar trio, two regulars of the Alpha label, Sophie Gent and Thomas Dunford, along with the gambist Jonathan Manson. While Dietrich Buxtehude is primarily known for his organ pieces and cantatas, as well as for the long journey that the young Bach took to meet him, his chamber music remains virtually unknown: in the mid-1690s, at the height of his fame, Buxtehude published two collections, each containing seven sonatas for violin, viola da gamba, and continuo. It is the works from the first collection (1694) - designated as opus 1 - that the Arcangelo ensemble has recorded here. These sonatas are characterized by a pronounced experimental quality, both in the distribution of instruments and in their treatment.