Schaffrath - Orchestral Works - Arman, Handelfestspielorchester

 

Release Date: September 29, 2009 Label: NCA Number of discs: 1 Composer: Christoph Schaffrath Performer: Arman, Händelfestspielorchester cd info/ buy

Review:

Christoph Schaffrath (1709, Hohnstein - 1763, Berlin) is best known as a musician and composer of the late Baroque. He applied to become organist at the Sophienkirche in Dresden, but did not receive this position as Wilhelm Friedemann Bach was favored for it . He did serve at the court of the Crown Prince Frederick the Great as a harpsichordist in the orchestra. From 1741, however, he was strictly the musician to the King's sister, Amalia. As a composer Schaffrath limited himself to instrumental music including symphonies, keyboard pieces, sonatas and concertos. The harpsichord sonatas were almost all fast-slow-fast settings and the opening movements were most often scored in ABA form. Many of the keyboard compositions were simple two-part formulations with the left hand playing the lesser role. Schaffrath's music can be considered transitional pieces which are stylistically galant between the Baroque and the Classical, characteristically melodious and composed of short phrases using triplets and steady rhythms. The majority of his works may now be found in the state library in Berlin.

 

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