Frederick the Great (der Große, Friedrich II): Four Sonatas for flute and basso continuo *Music minus one Fairest Isle (Purcell)

Fairest Isle (Purcell)

if not highly memorable

The volume entitled The Second Half of the 18th Century (Z

Belonging to many places

Pieces of light music such as polkas and boleros were a pleasant diversion in the concert-hall

Frederick the Great (der Große, Friedrich II): Four Sonatas for flute and basso continuo *Music minus one Fairest Isle (Purcell)In the four sonatas presented here for the first time, the royal composer can lay uncontested claim to an above average talent. The works stand out for their imaginative power, their skill and their stylistic variety. The grand rooms of Sanssouci Palace must have been filled with heartfelt Adagios and brilliant Allegros that confirmed the virtuoso flute technique of the Quantz pupil. The sonatas were recently recorded on CD (Hungaroton) by the editor