Bach's Oboe

Description

Johann Sebastian Bach certainly knew the sound of the oboe in his early childhood thanks to his father Ambrosius, who was employed as a bagpiper in Eisenach. The fact that the composer recognized and appreciated the expressive power of the oboe from a very young age is evident in many of his early compositions, cantatas and concertos. Unfortunately, among the surviving works there are neither solo sonatas nor trio sonatas with oboe, even though one may assume that there must have been some. This CD on ACCENT fills that gap with a series of extremely skillful arrangements and reconstructions of chamber music, and also features, with Xenia Loffler, the ideal cast for this project. The solo oboist of the renowned original sound ensemble Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin performs two flute sonatas with obbligato harpsichord on her instrument, one of which (BWV 1030b) was probably originally intended for the oboe. The two trio sonatas for organ in trio with oboe, violin or viola da gamba and continuo bring forth a whole range of new musical colors from the original works. Finally, the three chorale preludes and a chaconne, which - in different chamber music contexts - make the original organ works shine with wonderful timbres, are also very special. Once again, it becomes clear that Xenia Loffler embodies in her playing something like the ideal sound of the baroque oboe: a concentrated, yet appropriately expandable sound, with rich nuances, as well as an always unfailing lyrical sense, complemented by an almost prodigious eloquence. It is no wonder that she was crowned “Queen of the Baroque Oboe” by BR-Klassik.