Veracini: Sonata Sesta in A minor - download (MP3 & FLAC)

Despite Vivaldi’s impressive output of highly demanding solo concertos for 'flauto' or 'flautino', only one single sonata has survived. Nevertheless there is an overwhelming quantity of music which was already during the famous Red Priest’s life time, subject to many transformations. Traces of Vivaldi’s concertos, violin sonatas and even sacred music can be found in a collection of Six Sonatas by Ignazio Sieber, a German oboe and flute teacher at the Ospedale della Pietà. Other Venetian composers are included in this album: Albinoni’s Sonate da chiesa Opus 4 is a forgery similar to Vivaldi’s 'Il pastor fido' which gives way to further alterations. Although Benedetto Marcello originally composed 12 original sonatas in order to satisfy the appetite of the steadily increasing circle of northern European recorder aficionados, a more virtuoso 13th sonata has emerged.

Together with Vivaldi’s 'Trio for recorder and bassoon' and Veracini’s expressive 'Sonata Sesta', Dirk Börner and Michael Form have created a fascinating panorama where the borders between original, transcription, improvisation and new-composed music are floating, in a very baroque manner denying the romantic idea of opus absolutum.

“Veracini has now survived 200 years of neglect to boot and is reclaiming his place in the pantheon of Baroque masters.” BBC Music Magazine