Funiculus Triplex: Rediscovered Style Galant For C

Hofbauer, Ulrike; L'Arcadia

At the center of these world premiere recordings is what is believed to be the only surviving work of Franz Xaver Hassl (1708-1757), a composer barely known to us these days. Hassl wrote the trio sonatas whilst director of music at the Prince-Bishop's court in Pruntrut/Porrentruy where they were most likely performed within an ecclesiastical setting. The sonatas are framed by three sacred arias found in a song collection by Zurich's town trumpeter, Johann Ludwig Steiner (1688-1761) and a selection of canzonettas by Johan Freidrich Agricola (1722-1774) illustrating the secular side of this charming 'galant' music. Inspired by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach’s advice “play from the soul, and not as a trained bird,” L’Arcadia under its artistic director the flautist Claire Genewein, rapidly became known for its energetic and virtuosic performances evoking the spirit of the age and sound culture of Europe between the seventeenth and early nineteenth centuries. With a core of four musicians, L’Arcadia appears in various formations from duo through to chamber orchestra.

Price: $16.98