WILLIAM BOYCE (1711–1779)

Trio Sonatas

CD1 [61'07]

Trio Sonata No 1 in A minor 1 Largo [1'25] 2 Fuga Allegro [1'43] 3 Allegro ma non troppo [2'32]

Trio Sonata No 2 in F major 4 Andante vivace [4'56] 5 Adagio [0'38] 6 Allegro [2'04] 7 Allegro ma non troppo Giga [1'31]

Trio Sonata No 3 in A major 8 Largo [1'17] 9 Fuga Allegro assai [1'43] 10 Adagio [1'09] 11m Tempo di minuetto [3'07]

Trio Sonata No 4 in G minor 12 Gratioso [2'53] 13 March Grave [2'46] 14 Tempo di gavotta [1'57]

Trio Sonata No 5 in D major 15 Allegro [2'09] 16 Largo [1'57] 17 Fuga Allegro assai [2'45]

Trio Sonata No 6 in B flat major 18 Adagio [1'34] 19 Vivace Allemanda [2'11] 20 Adagio [0'36] 21 Affettuoso [2'12]

Trio Sonata No 7 in D minor 22 Andante [3'16] 23 Fuga Allegro [1'57] 24 Adagio [0'31] 25 Allegro Giga [1'59]

Trio Sonata No 8 in E flat major 26 Largo [3'46] 27 Allegro Allemanda [1'59] 28 Siciliana [1'12] 29 Tempo di minuetto Allegro [1'59]

CD2 [61'51]

Trio Sonata No 9 in C major 1 Adagio ad libitum [1'56] 2 Fuga Allegro [2'10] 3 Canone Grave [1'30] 4 Spirituoso [2'05]

Trio Sonata No 10 in E minor 5 Adagio [1'41] 6 Allegro [2'20] 7 Largo [2'11] 8 Tempo di minuetto Largo [1'41]

Trio Sonata No 11 in C minor 9 Adagio [1'07] 10 Fuga Allegro [2'08] 11 Affettuoso Hornpipe [2'24] 12 Allegro Giga [2'02]

Trio Sonata No 12 in G major 13 Moderato [3'05] 14 Tempo di gavotta [1'37] 15 Dolce Minuetto – Tempo di gavotta [2'58]

Trio Sonata No 13 in A minor 16 Adagio Preludio [1'29] 17 Vivace Fuga [2'03] 18 Largo [1'06] 19 Giga Allegro [1'42] 20 Minuetto Allegro [1'11]

Trio Sonata No 14 in F major 21 Largo [3'02] 22 Vivace [2'11] 23 Grave [1'29] 24 Gavotta Allegro [1'52]

Trio Sonata No 15 in D major 25 Largo andante Allemanda [2'57] 26 Vivace Corrente [2'14]

27 Adagio Sarabanda [3'18] 28 Gavotta Allegro [2'20] 29 Minuetto [2'38]

The Parley of Instruments / Peter Holman

The music of William Boyce has always retained a special place in the English repertory, it being written of him that, ‘there is an original and sterling merit in his productions, founded as much on the study of our own old masters, as on the best models of other countries’ (Burney).

This recording is of the Twelve Sonatas for Two Violins with a Bass for the Violoncello or Harpsicord, published in 1747, and three unpublished Trio Sonatas edited from a manuscript in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. These particularly attractive works boast a wide range of stylistic features and forms and for many years held centre-stage in England as masterpieces in the genre. The performances are divided between a solo quartet and the full Parley of Instruments, so ensuring over two hours of varied and inspiring listening.

‘The works, large and small, have an air of sweet reasonableness. The fugues are warmly greeted but never aggressively attacked; the string tone in the slow movements is very appealing, sweet and well blended. The two solo violins carry on an urbane and charming dialogue, their voices twining in and out of each other like those of a long-married couple who can anticipate what the other will say. In the final Gigues everyone lets their hair down for an end-of-concerto romp. Attractive music performed with skill’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘Yet another treasurable document of England’s musical heritage’ (Gramophone)

Hyperion Records 2cds CDD22063