On this album you will find some very fine sonatas and a suite from German composers who have been living between 1659 and 1787.

The viola da gamba came somewhat late in Germany. In 1571 a merchant bought a "chest of viols" made in London for the court in Munich. The viol was used in consorts and vocal ensembles, often played by English violists, like John Cooper. Then came the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) resulting in a decrease of cultural life.

From Northern Germany, with the rich Hanseatic cities, there developed an important school of viol music. Composers like Dietrich Buxtehude, Matthias Weckmann and Franz Tunder composed music for the instrument. Builders like Tielke made abundantly ornamented instruments. The nobility discovered the viola da gamba. Frierich Wilhelm von Brandenburg, Max Emanuel von Bayern, Leopold von Anhalt-Köthen and Friedrich Wilhelm von Preußen, played the instrument.

Johann Friedrich Ruhe was Kapellmeister at Magdeburg Cathedral for 43 years, all of Ruhe's compositions are lost except for these five gamba works. Probably written in the 1730s, they are lively, forward-looking pieces in three and four movements in an Italianate Style with some resemblance of Telemann's style.

Theodor Schwartzkopff 's career is closely related to the court of Württemberg where he worked as Kapellmeister. This suite is part of the music collection of the Crown Prince Friedrich Ludwig von Württemberg. Although the French style, played an important role in Germany, also this work bears strong Italian influences, but perhaps the suite form is more French then Italian.

Johann Daniel Hardt worked in Strasbourg. He has been Kammermusikus for about five years to Stanislaus I and later he became violist for the Chapel of Bishop Johann Philipp Franz von Schönborn in Würzburg. From 1746 on he was second Kapellmeister together with Ignaz Holzbauer und Niccolò Jomelli. In 1755 he retired.

Anonymus from the Wiesentheid collection. Rudolf Franz Erwein had begun to form his musical collection, which still exists today at Wiesentheid. The beginnings of the collection date from 1694. Rudolf Franz Erwein played the flute and the bassoon, but his favorite instrument was the cello. The collection today contains around one hundred and fifty printed works and five hundred manuscripts, many of them, like this anonymous sonata, unique.

Carl Friedrich Abel Abel was born in Köthen, where his father was a viol player in the court orchestra where Bach was Kapellmeister. When Bach moved to Leipzig, Abel 's father became this position. The young Abel studied at the Thomaschule, where he was taught by Bach. After 1759 he went to England and became chamber-musician to Queen Charlotte. He gave a concert of his own compositions in London together with his by then good friend Johann Christian Bach, the eleventh son of J.S. Bach. They organized England's first subscription concerts. Abel also composed orchestral works.

Johann Christian Bach, was the youngest son of Bach who was already 50 at the time of his birth. From 1756 on, he lived for many years in Italy (Bologna and Milan). In 1762, Bach went to London and established a reputation in England. Like Abel he became music master to Queen Charlotte. The sonata on this CD was put up for auction in 1992 at Sotheby's in London and till then unknown. It is originally composed for the viol with pianoforte and just recently published by edition. Güntersberg.

1. Andante Sonata No1 Viola da Gamba solo (and basso continuo) in C Major (Johann Friedrich Ruhe)
2. Allegro Sonata No1 Viola da Gamba solo (and basso continuo) in C Major (Johann Friedrich Ruhe)
3. Presto Sonata No1 Viola da Gamba solo (and basso continuo) in C Major (Johann Friedrich Ruhe)
4. Adagio Sonata No2 in A Minor (Johann Friedrich Ruhe)
5. Allegro Sonata No2 in A Minor (Johann Friedrich Ruhe)
6. Tempo di Minuet Sonata No2 in A Minor (Johann Friedrich Ruhe)
7. Allemande Partie a Viola da Gamba solo com Cembalo D Minor (Theodor Schwartzkopff)
8. Courante Partie a Viola da Gamba solo com Cembalo D Minor (Theodor Schwartzkopff)
9. Sarabande Partie a Viola da Gamba solo com Cembalo D Minor (Theodor Schwartzkopff)
10. Gigue Partie a Viola da Gamba solo com Cembalo D Minor (Theodor Schwartzkopff)
11. (Allegro) Sonata in C Major (Johann Daniel Hardt)
12. Allemand Sonata in C Major (Johann Daniel Hardt)
13. Courand Sonata in C Major (Johann Daniel Hardt)
14. Gigue Sonata in C Major (Johann Daniel Hardt)
15. Saraband Sonata in C Major (Johann Daniel Hardt)
16. Minuet Sonata in C Major (Johann Daniel Hardt)
17. Largo Sonata in D Major Wiesentheid collection 1722 (Anonymous)
18. Allegro Sonata in D Major Wiesentheid collection 1722 (Anonymous)
19. Harlequinade Sonata in D Major Wiesentheid collection 1722 (Anonymous)
20. Marsch Sonata in D Major Wiesentheid collection 1722 (Anonymous)
21. Allegro Sonata in G Major WKO 144 (Carl Friedrich Abel)
22. Adagio Sonata in G Major WKO 144 (Carl Friedrich Abel)
23. Minuetto Sonata in G Major WKO 144 (Carl Friedrich Abel)
24. (Adagio) Sonata for Viola da Gamba solo WKO 155 (Carl Friedrich Abel)
25. Allegro Sonata for Viola da Gamba solo WKO 155 (Carl Friedrich Abel)
26. Minuet Sonata for Viola da Gamba solo WKO 155 (Carl Friedrich Abel)
27. Allegro Sonata Cembalo Viola da Gamba G Major War B 4b (Johann Christian Bach)
28. Rondeau Sonata Cembalo Viola da Gamba G Major War B 4b (Johann Christian Bach)

Listen to: the entire album.

Release date: 06/14/2013
Ernst Stolz lives in Den Haag Netherlands

Tagged as: Classical, Baroque, Instrumental, Composer: Carl Friedrich Abel, Composer: Johann Christian Bach, Composer: Johann Daniel Hardt, Composer: Johann Friedrich Ruhe, Organ, Composer: Theodor Schwartzkopff, Viola da Gamba

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