The wonderful timbres of original Baroque instruments and the vigorous period interpretations by
Paul Dombrecht and
Il Fondamento go far to make this 2004 release a delightful listening experience, even if Johann Friedrich Fasch's music falls short of genius. Not that Fasch was considered a mediocrity in his time: despite his later reputation as a modest Prussian kapellmeister, he was widely traveled, well-educated, and popular in his youth; and he enjoyed the benefits brought by continued publication of his Ouvertures, even after settling down in Zerbst in 1722. But the three suites presented here are merely ingenious, for there are no real innovations, few striking features, and little depth of feeling. Fasch's ensemble of oboes, bassoon, strings, and continuo is more or less standard, and the arias, bourrees, gavottes, and minuets are charming but mostly unexceptional.
Dombrecht and his musicians, however, breathe life into these pieces and lend them distinctive colors and expressive playing, doubtlessly much more than is indicated in the scores. The Aria largo of the Ouverture in D minor is a fine example of their interpretive skills, and their boisterous reading of the Ouverture in G major -- easily the quirkiest piece -- is a high point. The sound is extraordinarily vivid and fairly hot, so a medium volume setting is advised.