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Georg von Bertouch: Trio Sonatas and pieces from The Music Book of Jacob Mestmacher
Catalogue Number: TOCC0006
Trio Sonatas Bergen Barokk Georg von Bertouch (1668–1743) was a man of action, quite literally: he took part in no fewer than 22 battles, and ended his career as commandant of Akershus Castle, which still overlooks the harbour in Oslo – the portrait on the cover of this CD was photographed in the office of the present-day commandant. But Bertouch, a German-born Norwegian, was also one of the leading composers of the day, corresponding with Bach and other prominent musicians. His music reveals a knowledge of Corelli and other contemporary developments, but retains a fresh, almost innocent, spontaneity with an infectious appeal. Here it is interspersed with dances and airs used in domestic music-making in Baroque Bergen. Liner Notes (PDF) |
Track Listing, MP3 Downloads and Streaming Samples
| Track No. | Track Title / Details | Duration | Sample | Add to Cart | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOWNLOAD COMPLETE ALBUM | 65:50 | ||||
| 1-3 | Sonata No. 8 in G major (1738) Georg von Bertouch, composer Bergen Barokk, ensemble Peter Spissky, violin Bjarte Eike, violin Markku Luolajan-Mikkola, cello Hans Knut Sveen, harpsichord (first recording) |
7:01 | |||
| 1 | I. Vivace | 1:35 |
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| 2 | II. Adagio | 1:44 |
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| 3 | III. Andante | 3:42 |
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| 4-5,9,14-15,26 | Pieces from the Music-Book of Jacob Mestmacher (1738) Georg von Bertouch, composer Bergen Barokk, ensemble Markku Luolajan-Mikkola, viola da gamba Frode Thorsen, recorder Hans Knut Sveen, harpsichord (first recording) |
14:11 | |||
| 4 | March (No. 106) | 1:35 |
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| 5 | Aria (No. 248, with variations by Bergen Barokk) | 2:40 |
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| 6-8 | Sonata No. 15 in F minor (1738) Georg von Bertouch, composer Bergen Barokk, ensemble Peter Spissky, violin Bjarte Eike, violin Markku Luolajan-Mikkola, cello Hans Knut Sveen, harpsichord (first recording) |
6:11 | |||
| 6 | I. Canona Allegro | 1:48 |
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| 7 | II. Adagio | 1:53 |
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| 8 | III. Andante | 2:30 |
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| 4-5,9,14-15,26 | Pieces from the Music-Book of Jacob Mestmacher (1738) Georg von Bertouch, composer Bergen Barokk, ensemble Markku Luolajan-Mikkola, viola da gamba Frode Thorsen, recorder Hans Knut Sveen, harpsichord (first recording) |
14:11 | |||
| 9 | Paspie de la Compertanje (No. 75) | 2:13 |
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| 10-13 | Sonata No. 11 in F major (1738) Georg von Bertouch, composer Bergen Barokk, ensemble Peter Spissky, violin Markku Luolajan-Mikkola, cello Frode Thorsen, recorder Hans Knut Sveen, harpsichord (first recording) |
7:22 | |||
| 10 | I. Vivace | 1:28 |
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| 11 | II. Allegro | 2:09 |
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| 12 | III. Adagio | 1:47 |
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| 13 | IV. Allegro | 1:58 |
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| 4-5,9,14-15,26 | Pieces from the Music-Book of Jacob Mestmacher (1738) Georg von Bertouch, composer Bergen Barokk, ensemble Markku Luolajan-Mikkola, viola da gamba Frode Thorsen, recorder Hans Knut Sveen, harpsichord (first recording) |
14:11 | |||
| 14 | Menuetto (No. 13) | 2:00 |
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| 15 | Gavotte Alternativement (No. 53) | 3:17 |
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| 16-19 | Sonata No. 21 in B flat minor (1738) Georg von Bertouch, composer Bergen Barokk, ensemble Frode Thorsen, recorder Hans Knut Sveen, harpsichord (first recording) |
7:32 | |||
| 16 | I. Andante | 2:01 |
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| 17 | II. Vivace | 2:13 |
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| 18 | III. Adagio | 1:35 |
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| 19 | IV. [Allegro] | 1:43 |
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| 20-21 | Sonata No. 17 in E flat major (1738) Georg von Bertouch, composer Bergen Barokk, ensemble Hans Knut Sveen, harpsichord (first recording) |
5:31 | |||
| 20 | I. Largo | 1:56 |
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| 21 | II. Andante | 3:35 |
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| 22-25 | Sonata No. 12 in D minor (1738) Georg von Bertouch, composer Bergen Barokk, ensemble Peter Spissky, violin Bjarte Eike, violin Markku Luolajan-Mikkola, cello Hans Knut Sveen, harpsichord (first recording) |
8:56 | |||
| 22 | I. Andante | 2:19 |
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| 23 | II. Adagio | 2:50 |
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| 24 | III. Allegro | 1:19 |
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| 25 | IV. Allegro | 2:28 |
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| 4-5,9,14-15,26 | Pieces from the Music-Book of Jacob Mestmacher (1738) Georg von Bertouch, composer Bergen Barokk, ensemble Markku Luolajan-Mikkola, viola da gamba Frode Thorsen, recorder Hans Knut Sveen, harpsichord (first recording) |
14:11 | |||
| 26 | Allegro et Trio (No. 166) | 2:26 |
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| 27-30 | Sonata No. 14 in G minor (1738) Georg von Bertouch, composer Bergen Barokk, ensemble Markku Luolajan-Mikkola, viola da gamba Frode Thorsen, recorder Kjersti Sellevåg, traverso Hans Knut Sveen, harpsichord (first recording) |
9:06 | |||
| 27 | I. Largo | 2:48 |
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| 28 | II. Andante | 3:30 |
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| 29 | III. Adagio | 1:20 |
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| 30 | IV. Vivace | 1:28 |
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Artists
Georg von Bertouch, composer
Bergen Barokk, ensemble
[credit: Jørn Pedersen]
Peter Spissky, violin
[credit: Markus Lindgren]
Bjarte Eike, violin
[credit: Gorm Valentin]
Markku Luolajan-Mikkola, cello, viola da gamba
Frode Thorsen, recorder
Kjersti Sellevåg, traverso
Hans Knut Sveen, harpsichord
Reviews
These delightful trio sonatas by Georg von Bertouch (1668-1743), interspersed with pieces from “The Music-Book of Jacob Mestmacher”, tumble blinking into the light courtesy of Toccata Classics […]. Italianate in design, these sonatas compare favourably with Bach’s (with whom Bertouch was a regular correspondent), thought without Bach’s extensive motivic development. One would never have guessed that Bertouch, a gifted violinist, conductor and composer, was actually a career soldier, having fought in 22 battles before ending his days as commandant of Akershus Castle in Christiania (now Oslo ). […]
Bergen Barokk provides extra colour by varying the instrumentation in accordance with the principles of the day; the ensemble mixes and matches violins, recorders, transverse flute, cello, viola da gamba, and harpsichord, often to beautiful effect […]. The performances overall are first-rate […]. Given that Bertouch will be totally unfamiliar to all but a few listeners, the extensive booklet notes provide essential historical and musicological information. A welcome release from an important independent label.
William Yeoman Classical Source
Bertouch’s sonatas are charming and, often, cleverly wrought. Bergen Barokk plays them persuasively, ringing the instrumental changes from a pair of violins, recorder, transverse flute, and obbligato gamba and harpsichord.
Bertouch was the son of a Norwegian family, but German-born. His approach is thoroughly European. Many movements are Corellian in style, though his German training is reflected in some effective canons – the imitation between the parts flows easily and is cleverly hidden, even if contrived within a limited harmonic vocabulary. There are surprises: a poignantly chromatic Adagio; an infectiously jolly 6/8 vivace.
[…] In all, a welcome and revealing collection of first recordings.
BBC Music Magazine
[…] this collection, beautifully played by Bergen Barokk, and with a spendidly clear recorded sound, […] allows us to discover a little-known repertoire and fill another historical gap in our ever-expanding knowledge of the music of this period.
International Record Review
Review
Patric Standford Music & Vision
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