Schenck: Suonate Per Violino E Violone O Cimbalo Op. 7, Vol. 2 Ensemble Castor

• Johannes Schenck (1660 - 1712): Fantasia I:
• 1 Schenck: Fantasia I: I. Adagio 01:38
• 2 Schenck: Fantasia I: II. Allegro – Adagio 00:45
• 3 Schenck: Fantasia I: III. Vivace – Adagio – Presto – Adagio 01:38
• 4 Schenck: Fantasia I: IV. Adagio – Allegro 01:20
• 5 Schenck: Fantasia I: V. Allemande 02:21
• 6 Schenck: Fantasia I: VI. Courante 01:32
• 7 Schenck: Fantasia I: VII. Sarabande. Adagio 02:40
• 8 Schenck: Fantasia I: VIII. Gigue 01:49
• Sonatina V:
• 9 Schenck: Sonatina V: I. Adagio 02:09
• 10 Schenck: Sonatina V: II. Allemande – Variatio 02:19
• 11 Schenck: Sonatina V: III. Courante – Variatio 01:18
• 12 Schenck: Sonatina V: IV. Sarabande – Variatio 02:02
• 13 Schenck: Sonatina V: V. Gigue 02:11
• Capriccio VII:
• 14 Schenck: Capriccio VII: I. Vivace 01:05
• 15 Schenck: Capriccio VII: II. Aria. Grave 02:28
• 16 Schenck: Capriccio VII: III. Adagio 01:10
• 17 Schenck: Capriccio VII: IV. Gigue 02:24
• Sonatina VIII:
• 18 Schenck: Sonatina VIII: I. Adagio 02:24
• 19 Schenck: Sonatina VIII: II. Allegro – Adagio 01:54
• 20 Schenck: Sonatina VIII: III. Adagio 01:24
• 21 Schenck: Sonatina VIII: IV. Allemande 02:20
• 22 Schenck: Sonatina VIII: V. Courante 01:38
• 23 Schenck: Sonatina VIII: VI. Sarabande. Adagio 02:43
• 24 Schenck: Sonatina VIII: VII. Gigue 02:18
• Capriccio X:
• 25 Schenck: Capriccio X: I. Vivace 00:39
• 26 Schenck: Capriccio X: II. Adagio 02:39
• Sinfonia XI:
• 27 Schenck: Sinfonia XI: I. Adagio 01:44
• 28 Schenck: Sinfonia XI: II. Allemande 02:16
• 29 Schenck: Sinfonia XI: III. Courante 01:31
• 30 Schenck: Sinfonia XI: IV. Sarabande – Variatio 01:46
• 31 Schenck: Sinfonia XI: V. Gigue 01:13
• 32 Schenck: Sinfonia XI: VI. Gigue 02:31
• Capriccio XII:
• 33 Schenck: Capriccio XII: I. Adagio – Allegro – Adagio 03:25
• Sonatina XVI:
• 34 Schenck: Sonatina XVI: I. Adagio 01:17
• 35 Schenck: Sonatina XVI: II. Allegro – Adagio 01:06
• 36 Schenck: Sonatina XVI: III. Allemande 02:07
• 37 Schenck: Sonatina XVI: IV. Courante 01:14
• 38 Schenck: Sonatina XVI: V. Sarabande 02:20
• 39 Schenck: Sonatina XVI: VI. Gigue 01:59
• Aria XVIII:
• 40 Schenck: Aria XVIII: I. Adagio 01:25
• 41 Schenck: Aria XVIII: I. Variatio 01:17
• 42 Schenck: Aria XVIII: II. Variatio 01:11
• 43 Schenck: Aria XVIII: III. Variatio 01:11
• 44 Schenck: Aria XVIII: IV. Variatio 01:08
• 45 Schenck: Aria XVIII: V. Variatio 01:17
• 46 Schenck: Aria XVIII: VI. Variatio 00:46
• Total Runtime 01:21:32

Info for Schenck: Suonate Per Violino E Violone O Cimbalo Op. 7, Vol. 2

Ensemble Castor continues its acclaimed journey into the sound world of Johannes Schenck with the second volume of Suonate per violino e violone o cimbalo, Op. 7 presented here as a complete world premiere recording. Published in 1699, Opus 7 stands as a dazzling compendium of Schenck’s compositional imagination, blending Italian sonata form, French dance suites, and the expressive freedom of the Stylus phantasticus into a richly varied musical tapestry. Far from the modest claim that these works were written “quickly for beginners,” the collection reveals profound artistry, virtuosic interplay, and an almost inexhaustible delight in experimentation from inventive Capriccios to the radiant Aria XVIII with its six variations crowning the cycle.

With their deep commitment to historical performance practice and their refined chamber music dialogue, the Austrian musicians of Ensemble Castor bring this extraordinary repertoire vividly to life. Following the international success of the first volume, praised worldwide for its brilliance and stylistic authority, this new release further illuminates Schenck’s genius a composer-virtuoso whose music transcends borders and fashions. In the hands of Petra Samhaber-Eckhardt, Philipp Comploi, and Erich Traxler, Opus 7 unfolds as a living conversation across centuries: bold, elegant, and irresistibly expressive.

Ensemble Castor

Please Note: We offer this album in its native sampling rate of 48kHz, 24-bit. The provided 96kHz version was up-sampled and offers no audible value!

Erich Traxler
As a harpsichordist and organist, he primarily focuses on music from approximately 1600 to 1800. His main focus in interpretation is on exploring the "musical craft" as the basis for musical creation in the Baroque era, as well as the direct language in music up to the 19th century.

His concert activities include appearances both as a soloist on the harpsichord and organ and as a chamber musician with various ensembles (including L'Orfeo Baroque Orchestra, Ars Antiqua Austria, Accentus Austria, Venice Baroque Orchestra, and Ensemble Castor). Tours to date have taken him to most European countries, as well as to the USA, South America, South Africa, South Korea, and Japan. Numerous CD and radio recordings document his work.

Erich Traxler received his musical training in Linz and Vienna, among others. with Michael Radulescu, August Humer, Wolfgang Glüxam, Gordon Murray, Brett Leighton, and Augusta Campagne. Postgraduate studies took him to Basel at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, where he received important inspiration from musicians such as Andrea Marcon, Wolfgang Zerer, Jean-Claude Zehnder, and Jesper Christensen. As an organist, he won first prizes at international organ competitions (Goldrain/Italy 2003, Bochum/Germany 2005).

From 2013 to 2018, Erich Traxler taught a harpsichord class at the Music and Arts University Vienna (MUK). Since 2018, he has been a professor of harpsichord at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw).

The Ensemble Castor,
founded in 2010 by internationally successful Austrian musicians specializing in early music, is primarily dedicated to string chamber music between 1600 and 1750. Particular interest lies in the Italian Seicento, the music surrounding Venice in the 18th century, as well as rarities from Upper Austria and Bavaria.

The musical director is Linz violinist Petra Samhaber-Eckhardt.

The first CD, "Discorsi Musicali," featuring music from the Munich court, was released in December 2014 and has already received considerable media and radio attention. A close collaboration with star violinist Enrico Onofri, one of the world's leading Baroque violinists, has also been established since 2014.

Several projects with internationally acclaimed singers such as Silvia Frigato, Mireille Lebel, Ida Aldrian, Christina Gansch, Günter Haumer, Maria Erlacher, and Markus Forster have led Castor to cantatas of the German and Italian Baroque periods, as well as to Bach's cantata works.

The Castor Ensemble has already performed at numerous international festivals (including the Donaufestwochen Strudengau, Brunnenthaler Konzertsommer, Internationale Barocktage Melk, Fränkischer Sommer, Festival St. Gallen, Salzkammergut Festwochen, Carinthischer Sommer). Castor also explores classical music on the fortepiano and has already enjoyed a successful concert series in the famous piano collection at Kremsegg Castle. In February 2017, Castor recorded a CD there with works by Mozart and Haydn, which was released in May by SONY "deutsche harmonia mundi" and has already received many excellent reviews.

In 2015, Ensemble Castor won the City of Linz Cultural Prize.

Future projects will take Ensemble Castor to Italy and Germany.

Ensemble Castor has repeatedly received excellent reviews ("The young, elite Upper Austrian ensemble offered brilliant interpretations...", "Ensemble Castor brings old music to life.")

The ensemble's name refers to the pair of stars Castor and Pollux, with Castor being the second brightest star in the constellation Gemini. Rameau's opera of the same name is one of his most wonderful works.

Petra Samhaber-Eckhardt
Born in Linz, Petra Samhaber-Eckhardt initially studied violin at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, where she discovered her love of baroque music and the baroque violin very early on. After graduating from Salzburg, she continued her baroque violin studies with Andrew Manze and Ingid Seifert at the Royal College of Music in London, where she completed her postgraduate studies with distinction.

During her stay in London, she also won two first prizes in competitions (UK Early Music), and she was invited to the BBC Music Awards finals in Manchester with the successful ensemble Puttanesca.

In June 2012, she completed her master's degree with Michi Gaigg in Linz with distinction and with Enrico Onofri in Italy in 2017.

She is the director of the now highly successful Ensemble Castor and a sought-after concertmaster both at home and abroad. In 2016, she was invited for the first time as concertmaster at the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music.

Booklet for Schenck: Suonate Per Violino E Violone O Cimbalo Op. 7, Vol. 2