There are many reasons to regard Carl Friedrich Abel (1723-1787) as one of the most extraordinary musicians in history. He was a gambist, a player of an instrument long associated with an aristocracy then at the height of its decadence. Today, however, he would be described as 'avant-garde', as he embraced the latest musical styles and genres and played a key role in the development of the symphony.

This album begins with the Symphony in C from his Opus 10, a set of six symphonies. With a scoring of two oboes, two horns, two violins, viola and basso, the score has all the hallmarks of symphonic music of the era. Abel's only notable vocal work is the aria "Frena le belle", which he contributed to the pastiche opera Sifare. The music is so inspiring that it is regrettable that Abel was not more widely recognized in the vocal repertoire. Abel's updated catalog (AbelWV, ed. Günter von Zadow, 2023) comprises 420 works, 29 of which are concertos for solo instruments.

These follow the typical pattern of three movements (the first and third are played quickly in the home key, the second more slowly in a separate, albeit related, key), beginning and ending with orchestral ritornelli, which are also inserted between each solo. Notwithstanding this, the Flute Concerto in E minor has a very particular structure, consisting of three movements, all in minor keys.

The viola section was reconstructed by Wolfgang Kostujak. The harpsichord concerto in D (Güntersberg, 2022) comes from a manuscript made by two unidentified copyists. This score, which bears an Italian title without reference to the pianoforte, suggests that it was composed when Abel was still in Germany. Tragically, none of the numerous concerts that Abel himself performed as a solo violist during his life in London have survived. The two on this album (Güntersberg) therefore deserve an explanation.

The Concerto in A comes from an unfinished manuscript by an unknown copyist, with no mention of the composer of the work, but a comprehensive analysis of the music has led Thomas Fritzsch to attribute it to Abel. Kostujak has reconstructed the parts for first and second violin, viola and some passages for basso. The concerto in G is no different from the cello concerto in B flat major, which in turn is the same as the flute concerto in C. Such rededication of works is not uncommon in Abel's catalog, and a detailed analysis provides ample evidence that this was intended for viola da gamba in the original version.

Further information:
The booklet in English contains liner notes by conductor Alejandro Marías and profiles of the soloists and ensemble. The Spanish liner notes are available for download at www. brilliantclassics. com.

Carl Friedrich Abel (1723-1787) was born in Köthen, a small German town, where his father played viola da gamba and cello in the court orchestra. in 1723, Abel became senior director of the orchestra when the previous director, Johann Sebastian Bach, moved to Leipzig. It has not been definitively confirmed that the young Abel later attended the Leipzig Thomasschule and was taught there by Bach. What is known, however, is that he joined Johann Adolph Hasse's court orchestra in Dresden in 1748 on Bach's recommendation, where he remained for nine years. On Bach's recommendation, he was able to join Johann Adolph Hasse's court orchestra in Dresden in 1748, where he remained for fifteen years. The consequences of the Seven Years' War drove him away from Dresden and he traveled to London in 1759, where he was appointed chamber musician to Queen Charlotte after a series of successful concerts. in 1762, Johann Christian Bach joined him in London and the friendship between him and Abel led to the founding of the famous Bach-Abel concerts, England's first subscription concerts, in 1764 or 1765.

Abel exemplifies the aesthetic, artistic and social changes that transformed the world in the 18th century. At the same time, he was a player of the viola da gamba - an instrument long associated with the aristocracy and then in decline - as well as a composer we would now call 'avant-garde', exploring not only the latest musical styles but also genres, having played a fundamental role in the development of the symphony and being one of the first composers of string quartets.

This new recording presents a flute concerto, a harpsichord concerto, a viola da gamba concerto and a symphony, music of great vitality, brilliance and love, played by Alejandro Marías (viola da gamba), Rafael Ruibérriz de Torres (flute) and the La Spagna Baroque Orchestra in the style of historically informed performance practice.