J.S. Bach Complete Sonatas For Flute & Piano
Navona, 2022
8/10
Listen to J.S. Bach Complete Sonatas For Flute & Piano
The mother-daughter duo of Julie Scolnik (flute) and Sophie Scolnik-Brower (piano) come together here for a two disc listen of rich, harmonic and emotive compositions from Johann Sebstian Bach.
“Sonata in C major BWV 1033” opens the listen with the dreamy flute and graceful keys meeting at a place of much sophistication, as both calm and swift progressions are present, and “Sonata in G minor BWV 1020” follows with the meticulous finger acrobatics from Scolnik-Brower complementing the poetic flute.
“Sonata in A major BWV 1032” exits the first half of the listen, and certainly isn’t short on melody, where the pair interact with a flowing chemistry, while “Sonata in E flat major BWV 1031” leads disc 2 with much beauty, as intimacy and adventurousness are both present amid the timeless songwriting.
The listen ends with “Sonata in E major BWV 1035”, the best selection, where a stirring, sublime introduction segues into very animated flute prowess and complicated, mesmerizing piano playing.
When Bach penned these pieces, the flute was still quite inferior to the recorder, but he showed us what was possible with the instrument. Scolnik takes that lead, and with her daughter, they put a fresh layer of paint on some already great songs that can be enjoyed in an entirely new light.
Travels well with: Lee/Thomas/Kampen/Hale- Globe Travel Homeland; Daniil Trifonov- BACH: The Art Of Life