This delightful disc featuring the
Kuijken brothers -- flutist
Barthold, violinist
Sigiswald, and gambist
Wieland -- with harpsichordist
Robert Kohnen, playing works by Johann Sebastian Bach, his son Carl Philipp Emanuel, and his friend Georg Philipp Telemann, gives listeners a fascinating view of German chamber music of the eighteenth century. J.S. Bach's Sonata in G major represents the genre's more ascetic side, while Telemann's Suite in D minor and Quartet in G major are more adventurous, and C.P.E. Bach's Trio Sonata in A major reflects a transition into the Classical era. In all the works, the
Kuijken brothers and
Kohnen play with brilliance and sensitivity. The Adagio from Bach's sonata is wonderfully touching, the Dolce in Telemann's quartet is tremendously lyrical, and the Vivace that closes C.P.E. Bach's Trio is marvelously exhilarating. Captured in warm, round, and deep early digital sound by Accent, this disc makes a charming introduction to the genre.