Verschlungene Pfade (2006)

The "Verschlungene Pfade" (crossing trails) of the title of this disc are those of the two composers represented -- the young Handel made a stop at the court of the Elector of Düsseldorf on his way to fame and fortune in England, and the little-known Johann Sigismund Weiss also worked there for a time -- although he was the brother of famed lute composer Sylvius Leopold Weiss, his career and music remain mostly obscure. If part of the aim of this album is to show that genius grows from solid foundations, it succeeds nicely ... Read More

The "Verschlungene Pfade" (crossing trails) of the title of this disc are those of the two composers represented -- the young Handel made a stop at the court of the Elector of Düsseldorf on his way to fame and fortune in England, and the little-known Johann Sigismund Weiss also worked there for a time -- although he was the brother of famed lute composer Sylvius Leopold Weiss, his career and music remain mostly obscure. If part of the aim of this album is to show that genius grows from solid foundations, it succeeds nicely -- the oboe sonatas of Weiss share many stylistic features with those by the young Handel, and it is not too surprising to learn that some were attributed to Handel in the eighteenth century. Both composers freely disregard the Italian distinction between the church sonata and chamber sonata, mixing abstract and dance movements with abandon. Weiss in his expertly crafted adagios shows something of Handel's flawless sense of timing, and it is hard to say which way the influence might... Read Less