Johann Sebastian Bach - Flute Sonatas (Andrea Oliva; Angela Hewitt)

Information

Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

• (01) Sonata in E flat major, BWV 1031 (attribution)
• (04) Sonata in G minor, BWV 1020 (attribution; probably by C. P. E. Bach)
• (07) Sonata in C major, BWV 1033 (attribution)
• (11) Sonata in E minor, BWV 1034
• (15) Sonata in E major, BWV 1035
• (19) Sonata in B minor, BWV 1030

Andrea Oliva, flute
Angela Hewitt, piano

Date: 2013
Label: Hyperion
https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA67897

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Review

Sonatas from the St Cecilia Academy’s principal flute

Bach’s six flute sonatas (three with obbligato keyboard, the rest with continuo) come down to us with varied pedigrees, lucidly set out in notes by Nicholas Anderson. Dating from the Leipzig period, they present a stylistic dilemma: whether to play them all as if by JS Bach or, in those not considered definitely to be solely his work, to incorporate practices of the next generation, and in particular those of his son CPE Bach (b1714). BWV1033 in C (early 1730s) survives in the hand of the son, and the E flat (BWV1031) and G minor (BWV1020) may have been the fruit of composition lessons between father and son.

This recording, by the highly regarded Italian flautist Andrea Oliva and distinguished modern Bach interpreter Angela Hewitt, follows a succession of superb period-instrument releases since the 1970s by artists including Barthold Kuijken, Stephen Preston, Lisa Beznosiuk, Janet See and Emmanuel Pahud. Oliva is alert to the stylistic nuances, both Baroque and galant, inherent in these works. And, together with Hewitt, he seemingly effortlessly responds to the constantly changing roles between the instruments sometimes embodied within single movements and the possibilities for subtle chiaroscuro dynamic effects, especially in the later E major (BWV1035) and B minor (BWV1030) works. Hewitt proves herself at every point a sensitive, lively collaborator. What makes this recording stand out is Oliva and Hewitt’s consummate musicality and palpable sense of ease, whatever the demands of the music.

-- Julie Anne Sadie, Gramophone

More reviews:
BBC Music Magazine  PERFORMANCE: **** / RECORDING: ****
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/feb/14/bach-flute-sonatas-review
https://www.allmusic.com/album/bach-flute-sonatas-mw0002474811
https://www.audaud.com/bach-flute-sonatas-andrea-oliva-flute-angela-hewitt-piano-hyperion/
https://www.amazon.com/Bach-J-S-Sonatas-Andrea-Oliva/dp/B00AG8HSZG

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Johann Sebastian Bach (31 March [O.S. 21 March] 1685 – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. Bach enriched established German styles through his mastery of counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organisation, and his adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from Italy and France. He is known for instrumental compositions such as the Brandenburg Concertos and the Goldberg Variations, and vocal music such as the St Matthew Passion and the Mass in B minor. Since the 19th-century Bach Revival he has been generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Sebastian_Bach

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Andrea Oliva (born 1977 in Modena, Italy) is an Italian flautist. Oliva garduated with full marks from the Istituto Musicale “Vecchi-Tonelli” of Modena. His career has been a brilliant one since the very beginning. As a soloist, he has performed in some of the most important halls in the world such as Carnegie Hall in New York and the Museum of Contemporary Art in London. From 2001 to 2003 he performed as principal flutist with the Orchestra del Teatro dell’Opera in Rome. Since 2003, Oliva is Principal Flutist of the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (Rome). He also has a very high reputation as a teacher.
http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Oliva-Andrea.htm
https://www.andreaoliva.com/

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Angela Hewitt (born July 26, 1958 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) is a British/Canadian classical pianist. Hewitt has performed around the world in recital and as soloist with orchestra. She is most well known for her Bach interpretations, especially her cycle of Bach recordings covering all the major keyboard works of J.S. Bach. Her discography also includes works by Couperin, Rameau, Messiaen, Chabrier, Ravel, Schumann, Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy and Fauré. In recent years, she records using her own piano, a Fazioli F308 grand. Hewitt received Gramophone Artist of the Year award in 2006.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Hewitt
http://www.angelahewitt.com/

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