There is a variety of arrangements for J S Bach’s six Cello Suites for a diverse range of instruments. The aim of Bernhard Hofstötter’s own arrangement of the second cello suite for Baroque lute (BWV 1008), exploiting the characteristics of the lute, was to make the pseudo-polyphonic mesh appear as clear and audibly distinguishable as possible. It is as challenging as it is fascinating to tackle the transformation of Bach’s chorale prelude ‘Ich ruf zu Dir, Herr Jesu Christ’ (‘I call to You, Lord Jesus Christ’, BWV 639) with the subtle and dynamically nuanced expressive power of the lute. The character of the lute is thoroughly suited to the intimate dialogue of the chorale. Besides his Bach arrangements, Bernhard Hofstötter for the CD at hand chose works by two other composers, first of all two by Silvius Leopold Weiss. Born in 1687 in Grottkau (Silesia), he found great recognition among his contemporaries throughout his life, which radiated much farther than his main place of activity at the court in Dresden. In recent years the works of this extraordinary figure have again attracted a little more attention, which they are doubtless due. Featuring more than 100 sonatas, Weiss’ oeuvre for solo lute is virtually encyclopedic. The sonata in G minor (WeissSW 25) is performed here with the Sarabande from the Dresden manuscript. In 1747 David Kellner released a lute book with Brandt publishers in Hamburg entitled ‘David Kellner’s XVI. Selected Pieces for Lute’. Before that the 77-year-old had not been much evident – either as a composer of lute music or as a lutenist. However, in the chaconne in A major recorded here Kellner pulls out all the stops of his prowess. This extensive, finely detailed and well balanced piece is thus characterized by maximal rhythmical and melodical ingenuity. One thus has good reason to assert that Kellner wrote the ‘ultimate chaconne’ (Kenneth Sparr).
