Fasch - Orchestral Suite in D Minor FWV K:d4 - Mov. 1&2/8

JOHANN FRIEDRICH FASCH (1688 - 1758)

Orchestral suite for two oboes, bassoon, strings, and basso continuo in D minor FWV K:d4

1. Overture

2. Air

Performed by Il Fondamento
Directed by Paul Dombrecht

*Johann Friedrich Fasch was a German composer.

Fasch was born in Buttelstedt; was a choirboy in Weissenfels and studied under Johann Kuhnau at the Thomasschule zu Leipzig and later founded a Collegium Musicum in the city. He then traveled throughout Germany, becoming a violinist in the orchestra in Bayreuth in 1714, and also holding court posts in Greiz and Lukavec. In 1722 he was appointed Kapellmeister at Zerbst, a post he held until his death.

His works include cantatas, concertos, symphonies, and chamber music. None of his pieces were printed in his lifetime, and a large number of his vocal works, including four operas, have been lost. However, he was held in high regard by his contemporaries (Johann Sebastian Bach made manuscript copies of a number of his pieces), and he is today considered an important link between the Baroque and Classical periods.

Fasch died in Zerbst at the age of 70. He was the father of Carl Friedrich Christian Fasch, also a musician.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• baroque
• classical
• ouverture
• cantata
• telemann
• bach
• handel
• motet
• oratorio
• mass
• symphony
• sinfonia
• trio
• quartet
• concerto
• grosso

[requiemaeturnum]

What a pity so little of his music survives...

[HARMONICO101]

About 100 or something...

Nevertheless, his music is rarely played. And these suites are easily as good as any produced by Handel and Telemann.

[requiemaeturnum]

I really like the beginning of this piece. Very powerful.

But yeah, makes you wonder what other genius has been lost to time....

[HARMONICO101]

The fugato makes this piece for me. A figurative roller-coaster ride. :)

Same with the G minor suite I've uploaded.

[telemannNnyc]

@sparebone a lot of the music vanished without a trace. The schloss (i.e. castle / palace) was bombed in the last days of WW2. The noble family that Fasch worked for died out in the late 18th century, and the palace became a sort of city hall/archives. Nearly 80 percent of the archives were destroyed during the bombing raid. Much of the music was gone already prior to that, but can't be sure. There are surviving inventories from Zerbst-- and there were over 50 Vivaldi concert alone!

[BaroqueBastard]

harmonico ! where do you get all these cds from we have none in toronto ??

[koscheii666]

Thanks you for introducing me to this Fasch - among others.

[iLikeBaroqueMusic]

Sounds like somewhere from Handel's Water Music?

[iLikeBaroqueMusic]

Very familiar, I think! Brilliant!

[TheCrazyCello]

He's had a bit of a revival recently, following that of his contemporary Telemann and largely thanks to the efforts of the Internationalen Fasch Gesellschaft. Still, the same old situation has happened - his instrumental works have received attention but his vocal works are still almost ubiquitously neglected.

[Jalapablo]

Fasch in his day was highly esteemed, and was considered a true maestro. J.S. Bach greatly admired his works.

[sparebone]

Yeah this music is powerful. And very grandiose. What happened to much of his music. Could one explain? Anyone? I would like to hear more of him. Where is Zerbst and did many other composers come from that area?