- Instrumentation:
- flute or violin and figured bass (harpsichord or organ, with optional cello or bass viol)
Although Bach and Mattheson had composed preludes and
fugues, and figured-bass exercises, respectively, in all 24
major and minor keys, but the equally German composer Johann
Christian Schickhardt (ca. 1685–1762) was the first
person to composed a set of sonates for flute and violin and
figured bass in all 24 keys. They were published privately
in London during the 1730s under the title
L’alphabet de la musique, certainly a
reference to the sequence of keys beginning with A major and
minor. The sonatas are regular solo sonatas, following the
principles of sonata composition of the 1710s and 1720s.
They mix ‘chamber’ and ‘church’
elements and have often more movement than the standard
four. Originally scored for flute or violin and figured
bass, Schickhardt provided alternative readings for the
recorder, by replacing the treble and bass keys by
French-violin and baritone keys, respectively. Also variant
readings were provided for other keys on the same notated
scale degree, for example, C major instead of C♯
major. Whereas the sonatas are available in several modern
editions in transposed versions for the recorder, the
present edition is the first to present the pieces in their
original format. Schickhardt’s extensive collection
has been divided into twelve pairs of sonatas on the same
tonic key, major and minor.
- 19??
- ISBN n/a (paper)
- 1 score (20 pp.) + 1 part (flute/bass 12 pp.)
- 21 x 30 cm
- €16 or US$16