Ivana Bilej Brouková, Edita Keglerová, Helena Zemanová - Benda: Sonatas, Sonatinas, Songs. Music from 18th Century, Prague (2015)

Tracklist

01. Sonata for Harpsichord in F Major: I. Allegro assai moderato - Allegro
02. Sonata for Harpsichord in F Major: II. Andantino un poco larghetto
03. Sonata for Harpsichord in F Major: III. Allegro
04. Mit Lauretten, seiner Freude
05. Sonatina. Allegro in B-Flat Major
06. Du, kleine, Blondine bezauberst ja schon
07. Sonatina. Allegro moderato in F Major
08. Mir Armen, den des Fiebers Kraft
09. Sonatina. Presto in D Major
10. Hüpft, ihr wollenreichen Herden
11. Sonata for Violin and Harpsichord in G Major: I. Mezzo allegro
12. Sonata for Violin and Harpsichord in G Major: II. Andantino
13. Sonata for Violin and Harpsichord in G Major: III. Allegro
14. Mein Geliebter hat versprochen
15. Sonatina in G Minor
16. Romanze: Ein Mädchen, das auf Ehre hielt
17. Sonata in C Minor: I. Allegro non troppo
18. Sonata in C Minor: II. Un poco largo
19. Sonata in C Minor: III. Allegro
20. Ich liebte nur Ismenen
21. Sonatina allegretto in C Major
22. Heraklit, gleich stumpfen Greisen
23. Sonata in F Major: I. Allegro ma non troppo
24. Sonata in F Major: II. Andante con moto
25. Sonata in F Major: III. Allegro

Jiří Antonín Benda spent his prime years at King Friedrich II's court orchestra in Berlin and serving as court Kapellmeister in Gotha, yet his works were an integral part of 18th-century Prague's musical landscape. The Czech capital frequently hosted performances of his singspiels, while prints of his compositions were in high demand too. Benda was best known for his melodramas and singspiels, whose novel and striking forcibility even enthralled the young Mozart ("You know that Benda has always been my favourite Lutheran Kapellmeister," wrote Wolfgang to this father). The greatest impact on Benda's keyboard music was made by his Berlin colleague Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. The first of the six volumes of Benda's "Sammlung" was published in 1780. Besides sonatas and sonatinas for "piano" (meaning any keyboard instrument, most frequently the harpsichord), the collection contained arias from church pieces, sonatas for several instruments, and songs. It was an extraordinary success and when it comes to the number of subscribers, it even outstripped C. P. E. Bach's similarly conceived collection of sonatas, which started to be published a year earlier. Benda's music is enchanting in its simplicity, impressive expression, gallantry and wit. The artists who made this recording have immersed themselves in Benda's musical universe and, bringing to bear their ample performing experience, have succeeded in relaying its irresistible charm.

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