ABEL

Music For Flute And Strings

Concerto for flute and strings No. 5 in G

1 I. Allegro 6’32

2 II. Adagio 4’26

3 III. Presto 5’29

Sonata No.1 in C Op.6

4 I. Adagio 3’03

5 II. Allegro 3’18

6 III. Vivace 3’00

Trio Sonata No. 1 in G Op.3*

7 I. Vivace 5’09

8 II. Adagio ma non troppo 3’05

9 III. Menuetto 2’14

Sonata No. 3 in E minor Op. 6

10 I. Adagio 2’38

11 II. Allegro 3’39

12 III. Vivace 3’12

Concerto for flute and strings No.2 in E minor

13 I. Allegro 6’11

14 II. Adagio ma non troppo 5’22

15 III. Allegro 4’54

Symphony No.1 in C Op.7

16 I. Allegro assai 4’18

17 II. Andantino 4’24

18 III. Allegro 2’02

Georgia Brown - flute

Nordic Affect

Carl Friedrich Abel worked as a composer and musician at the Dresden court of Frederick the Great, a famous hotspot for composers at that time (Frederic himself was a great patron of the musical arts, and a respectable composer himself). Among the composers residing was Quantz, a virtuoso on the flute, who inspired Abel to write for this fashionable instrument.

The works on this recording are written in the Viennese Classical Style, charming, melodious and full of sparkle and wit. Georgia Browne, solo flutist of several famous Early Music orchestras, knows the style

extremely well, and delights in the music’s spirited and joyful character, expertly accompanied by Nordic Affect, a band playing authentic instruments.

Although Carl Friedrich Abel (1723–87) is known as one of the last and greatest virtuosos of the viola da gamba, his instrument declined in popularity towards the end of the 18th century, leading him to compose for other instruments; some of his most successful results can be heard in the music recorded on this disc. Abel’s ability to compose particularly fine music for the flute can be traced back his time working at the Dresden court, which possessed one of the greatest orchestras of the era .Among the musicians working there were the flautists Buffardin and Quantz - the latter a prolific composer of

flute concertos and sonatas for Frederick the Great, a notable patron of the arts. It is likely that Abel himself was a skilled flautist, and the instrument’s popularity at the time created a great demand for new

compositions. The works featured on this disc are less well known than Abel’s music for viola da gamba, and are performed less often. However, they provide an insight into 18th century music’s transition from Baroque complexity to the melody-driven Classical style, and are illuminated through performances by flute soloist Georgia Browne and the ensemble Nordic Affect, specialists in historical performance.

Brilliant Classics 94304