Karl Kaiser, Musica Alta Ripa - J.S. Bach: Complete Flute Sonatas, Vol. 1 (1999)

This first volume of a complete Bach Flute Sonatas series makes it clear that the category will be left as wide as possible - any sonata is up for inclusion, it seems, as long as it has a BWV number and a flute. And why not? It allows us to have sonatas for flute and continuo (in this case BWV1034), sonatas for flute and obbligato harpsichord (BWV1031 and 1032) and trio sonatas (BWV1038 and the sonata from The Musical Offering) ; and it gives us the chance to hear interesting works of uncertain Bach pedigree alongside more genuine articles, with all the instructive comparisons that can bring. BWV1038 has been mooted as a team effort, perhaps an exercise completed by Bach and one of his pupils (though it sounds Bachian enough). BWV1031, with its consistent galant flavour, sounds more like the work of some younger and more modern composer.
Karl Kaiser is a mellifluous player who, with his gently introverted sound, is happy not to impose himself on the music with undue egoism, and in general Musica Alta Ripa's pleasant, mannerism-free performances make all the right gestures in all the right places. One could have wished for more involvement from the players, more drama even, in the sonata from The Musical Offering, though the effectiveness of this wonderful piece is not helped by the decision to replace the violin part with the keyboard-player's right hand - a far less expressive option, even when played, as here, on the fortepiano. It would be nice to think that a later volume might include the piece in its original scoring. That grumble aside - and perhaps another one concerning a lack of generosity towards the continuo players in the recorded balance (and there are quite a few of them in BWV1034) - this is a safe enough recommendation.