The C major Sonata is full of Viennese gentility, despite its challenging hand crossing, and an expressive central movement is followed by a fiery yet playful finale, with its stop-start rhythms. Whilst conventional in structure, its finale has drama too in its fantasia-like explosion before the return of the opening material. ![]() In its slow movement, the rich lower tones of Grisvard’s instrument are warmly echoey, and the trumpet-like repeated notes ring out almost like an organ stop. The B flat minor Sonata has a dramatically rippling opening, and continues with almost perpetual motion, with falling arpeggios dropping to a sombre trill at the bass of the keyboard. The disc includes three of Fasch’s Sonatas, and several short ‘character’ pieces, ending with a wonderful Ariette with Fourteen Variations. ![]() Philippe Grisvard has recorded a selection of Fasch’s keyboard works, performing them on a gloriously ringing fortepiano from around 1790. He was also responsible for establishing the Singakademie in Berlin, which was chiefly responsible for the rediscovery of JS Bach’s music which by then had fallen into obscurity. Carl Friedrich Christian Fasch (1736-1800) was expected to follow in the footsteps of his more famous father, Johann Friedrich Fasch, as Kapellmeister in Zerbst, but instead he went on to share the position of harpsichordist to Frederick II with CPE Bach, and then ultimately when CPE Bach left after the seven years war, he remained.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |