Bach, W F: Sinfonia in D minor, F. 65 'Adagio & Fugue'

Picture this: a collection of musicians lounging on the grass in the June sunshine outside the Aula Maxima in Maynooth. Within a short time everyone moves inside and soon it is clear that this is going to be a special recording: over the following three days there is laughter, moments of frustration and debate, and much great, great music. Music that is great, not just because it is being played by some of Ireland's finest musicians but because it was composed by various members of the world's most enduring musical families, the Bachs.

The Irish Baroque Orchestra is Ireland's only professional period instrument orchestra among whose members are some of the most promising young players in the international early music scene. The IBO is fortunate to be directed by London-born Monica Huggett, one of the world's leading baroque violinists who has won many awards for her recordings and her work as a pioneer of early music.

At the same time as we get to know Wilhelm Friedemann Bach’s compositions we can also take stock of the real personality of Johann Sebastian Bach’s eldest son. His works are still mostly unknown to the public at large and remain in the shadow of those by his brothers. It is true that his music still seems to be somewhat strange, imprisoned as it undoubtedly is by the composer’s profound inner drama. Born in 1710, Wilhelm Friedemann benefited more than any other of his brothers from the impact of his father’s personality; we may well remember the famous phrase attributed to Johann Sebastian “The son that gives me joy is the one that I love”?