Johannes Schenk: Suonate Per Violino E Violone O Cimbalo Op. 7 - Vol. 1 Ensemble Castor

• Johannes Schenk (1660 - 1712): Sonatina II:
• 1 Schenk: Sonatina II: I. Adagio - Allegro - Adagio 02:21
• 2 Schenk: Sonatina II: II. Adagio 00:49
• 3 Schenk: Sonatina II: III. Gigue. Allegro 01:51
• 4 Schenk: Sonatina II: IV. Allemande 02:11
• 5 Schenk: Sonatina II: V. Courante 01:40
• 6 Schenk: Sonatina II: VI. Sarabande. Adagio 01:48
• 7 Schenk: Sonatina II: VII. Gigue 01:32
• Prelude in stile francese IX:
• 8 Schenk: Prelude in stile francese IX: I. Vivace 00:36
• 9 Schenk: Prelude in stile francese IX: II. Allemande 02:12
• 10 Schenk: Prelude in stile francese IX: III. Courante. Vivace 01:29
• 11 Schenk: Prelude in stile francese IX: IV. Sarabande 01:55
• 12 Schenk: Prelude in stile francese IX: V. Gigue 01:31
• 13 Schenk: Prelude in stile francese IX: VI. Rondeau 00:58
• Capriccio XVII:
• 14 Schenk: Capriccio XVII: I. Vivace - Adagio - Allegro 02:13
• Sinfonia III:
• 15 Schenk: Sinfonia III: I. Adagio 01:37
• 16 Schenk: Sinfonia III: II. Allemande. Largo 02:35
• 17 Schenk: Sinfonia III: III. Courante 01:37
• 18 Schenk: Sinfonia III: IV. Sarabande. Adagio 02:47
• 19 Schenk: Sinfonia III: V. Gigue. Vivace 01:40
• Capriccio XIV:
• 20 Schenk: Capriccio XIV: I. Aria. Allegro – Adagio – Allegro – Adagio 02:29
• 21 Schenk: Capriccio XIV: II. Allemande 01:57
• 22 Schenk: Capriccio XIV: III. Courante 01:54
• 23 Schenk: Capriccio XIV: IV. Sarabande 02:52
• 24 Schenk: Capriccio XIV: V. Gigue 01:13
• 25 Schenk: Capriccio XIV: VI. Gigue 01:48
• Sonatina IV:
• 26 Schenk: Sonatina IV: I. Allegro - Adagio 00:49
• 27 Schenk: Sonatina IV: II. Allegro 00:57
• 28 Schenk: Sonatina IV: III. Aria. Adagio 01:31
• 29 Schenk: Sonatina IV: IV. Gigue. Allegro 01:23
• Fantasia XIII:
• 30 Schenk: Fantasia XIII: I. Adagio - Allegro - Adagio 03:15
• Capriccio VI:
• 31 Schenk: Capriccio VI 02:11
• Sonatina XV:
• 32 Schenk: Sonatina XV: I. Adagio 01:31
• 33 Schenk: Sonatina XV: II. Allemande 03:07
• 34 Schenk: Sonatina XV: III. Courante 02:03
• 35 Schenk: Sonatina XV: IV. Sarabande. Adagio 02:51
• 36 Schenk: Sonatina XV: V. Gigue 01:48
• Total Runtime 01:07:01

Info for Johannes Schenk: Suonate Per Violino E Violone O Cimbalo Op. 7 - Vol. 1

For some time now, Johannes Schenck has enjoyed a return to popularity as a composer of ingenious and technically demanding music for viola da gamba, but his compositional output in other fields has largely been forgotten. His instrumental music, is nowadays generally recognised, was composed in the tradition of the composer-virtuoso, almost exclusively for the viola da gamba.

The only exception is the undated Opus 7, from the publishing house of Estienne Roger, entitled Suonate a Violino e Violone o Cimbalo, which first appeared in 1699. The two individual part-books of the publication, one for the solo violin, the other for the bass accompaniment, contain a total of 18 numbered pieces. The use of French titles for the dance forms and the title “Prelude in stile francese” seem at first to point to a strong French influence on Schenck’s Op. 7, as does the fact that the dance movements are consistently in the ordering Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gigue, as was normal practice for a suite in France at the time.

But in fact Schenck cleverly mixes suite and sonata forms with formally free, almost improvisatory movements or entire pieces in the so-called Stylus phantasticus, creating a successful synthesis of elements from French, Italian, and Dutch/North German styles. This joy in experimentation leads overall to an impressive diversity of form and great richness of contrast, further increased by means of the contrasting characters of the movements, whose spectrum ranges from playful dances to elegiac slow movements.

Erich Traxler, harpsichord
Petra Samhaber-Eckhardt, violin
Philipp Comploi, violoncello
Johannes Ötzbrugger, theorbe
Ensemble Castor

Erich Traxler
As a harpsichordist and organist, he primarily focuses on music from approximately 1600 to 1800. His main focus in interpretation is on exploring the "musical craft" as the basis for musical creation in the Baroque era, as well as the direct language in music up to the 19th century.

His concert activities include appearances both as a soloist on the harpsichord and organ and as a chamber musician with various ensembles (including L'Orfeo Baroque Orchestra, Ars Antiqua Austria, Accentus Austria, Venice Baroque Orchestra, and Ensemble Castor). Tours to date have taken him to most European countries, as well as to the USA, South America, South Africa, South Korea, and Japan. Numerous CD and radio recordings document his work.

Erich Traxler received his musical training in Linz and Vienna, among others. with Michael Radulescu, August Humer, Wolfgang Glüxam, Gordon Murray, Brett Leighton, and Augusta Campagne. Postgraduate studies took him to Basel at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, where he received important inspiration from musicians such as Andrea Marcon, Wolfgang Zerer, Jean-Claude Zehnder, and Jesper Christensen. As an organist, he won first prizes at international organ competitions (Goldrain/Italy 2003, Bochum/Germany 2005).

From 2013 to 2018, Erich Traxler taught a harpsichord class at the Music and Arts University Vienna (MUK). Since 2018, he has been a professor of harpsichord at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw).

The Ensemble Castor,
founded in 2010 by internationally successful Austrian musicians specializing in early music, is primarily dedicated to string chamber music between 1600 and 1750. Particular interest lies in the Italian Seicento, the music surrounding Venice in the 18th century, as well as rarities from Upper Austria and Bavaria.

The musical director is Linz violinist Petra Samhaber-Eckhardt.

The first CD, "Discorsi Musicali," featuring music from the Munich court, was released in December 2014 and has already received considerable media and radio attention. A close collaboration with star violinist Enrico Onofri, one of the world's leading Baroque violinists, has also been established since 2014.

Several projects with internationally acclaimed singers such as Silvia Frigato, Mireille Lebel, Ida Aldrian, Christina Gansch, Günter Haumer, Maria Erlacher, and Markus Forster have led Castor to cantatas of the German and Italian Baroque periods, as well as to Bach's cantata works.

The Castor Ensemble has already performed at numerous international festivals (including the Donaufestwochen Strudengau, Brunnenthaler Konzertsommer, Internationale Barocktage Melk, Fränkischer Sommer, Festival St. Gallen, Salzkammergut Festwochen, Carinthischer Sommer). Castor also explores classical music on the fortepiano and has already enjoyed a successful concert series in the famous piano collection at Kremsegg Castle. In February 2017, Castor recorded a CD there with works by Mozart and Haydn, which was released in May by SONY "deutsche harmonia mundi" and has already received many excellent reviews.

In 2015, Ensemble Castor won the City of Linz Cultural Prize.

Future projects will take Ensemble Castor to Italy and Germany.

Ensemble Castor has repeatedly received excellent reviews ("The young, elite Upper Austrian ensemble offered brilliant interpretations...", "Ensemble Castor brings old music to life.")

The ensemble's name refers to the pair of stars Castor and Pollux, with Castor being the second brightest star in the constellation Gemini. Rameau's opera of the same name is one of his most wonderful works.

Petra Samhaber-Eckhardt
Born in Linz, Petra Samhaber-Eckhardt initially studied violin at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, where she discovered her love of baroque music and the baroque violin very early on. After graduating from Salzburg, she continued her baroque violin studies with Andrew Manze and Ingid Seifert at the Royal College of Music in London, where she completed her postgraduate studies with distinction.

During her stay in London, she also won two first prizes in competitions (UK Early Music), and she was invited to the BBC Music Awards finals in Manchester with the successful ensemble Puttanesca.

In June 2012, she completed her master's degree with Michi Gaigg in Linz with distinction and with Enrico Onofri in Italy in 2017.

She is the director of the now highly successful Ensemble Castor and a sought-after concertmaster both at home and abroad. In 2016, she was invited for the first time as concertmaster at the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music.

Booklet for Johannes Schenk: Suonate Per Violino E Violone O Cimbalo Op. 7 - Vol. 1