Bach's sonatas for viola da gamba and harpsichord are considered so remarkable because of their daring mix of genres, forms, and gestures of the late German Baroque period, and this highly polished recording by Trevor Pinnock and Jonathan Mason shows off the full range of the mix—from the lightest to the most sophisticated and complex moments.
Digital Audio Download Includes:
1 Sonata in G minor BWV 1029: Vivace
2 Sonata in G minor BWV 1029: Adagio
3 Sonata in G minor BWV 1029: Allegro
4 Sonata in G major, BWV, 1027:
5 Sonata in G major, BWV, 1027:
6 Sonata in G major, BWV, 1027:
7 Sonata in G major, BWV, 1027:
8 Sonata in D major BWV 1028: Adagio
9 Sonata in D major BWV 1028: Allegro
10 Sonata in D major BWV 1028: Andante
11 Sonata in D major BWV 1028: Allegro
12 Sonata in G minor, BWV 1030b:
13 Sonata in D major BWV 1028: Siciliano
14 Sonata in D major BWV 1028: Presto
Trevor Pinnock is recognised as a leading personality in the direction of period-instrument performance and a harpsichord soloist of international reputation.
Having trained as a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral and as a scholar at the Royal College of Music, Trevor Pinnock formed The English Concert in 1973; since then, his lively and stylish interpretations with this ensemble have set new standards in the field of period performance.
Trevor Pinnock has appeared frequently as a guest conductor with many of the world's leading orchestras, including the Boston, San Francisco and Detroit Symphony orchestras, the St Paul and Los Angeles Chamber orchestras and at the Tanglewood and Mostly Mozart festivals, he became Principal conductor and artistic director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Ottawa. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1988 with Handel's Giulio Cesare.
The 1999/2000 season included engagements with the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra, Mito Chamber Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, tours of the USA and South America with The English Concert, chamber music recitals with Rachel Podger and Jonathan Manson in Japan and duo recitals with Maxim Vengerov in Europe. The 2000/2001 season includes concerts with The English Concert in Japan (Bach St Matthew Passion), Spain (Monteverdi Combattimento), Halle, Paris and London (Handel Tamerlano) and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, among others.
Firmly established as one of the world's foremost harpsichord virtuosi, Trevor Pinnock's solo recordings include Scarlatti Sonatas, Handel's Harpsichord Suites and Bach's Goldberg Variations and complete Partitas. As a soloist he has recorded the Bach Harpsichord Concerti and Haydn's Piano Concerto (Hob. XV111:11) playing/directing The English Concert and the Poulenc Harpsichord Concerto with Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Trevor Pinnock received a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 1992.