Buxtehude: Trio Sonatas, Op. 1 Arcangelo & Jonathan Cohen

• Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707):
• 1 Trio Sonata in F Major, BuxWV 252 09:18
• 2 Trio Sonata in G Major, BuxWV 253 08:05
• 3 Trio Sonata in A Minor, BuxWV 254 09:29
• 4 Trio Sonata in B-Flat Major, BuxWV 255 08:12
• 5 Trio Sonata in C Major, BuxWV 256 08:32
• 6 Trio Sonata in D Minor, BuxWV 257 08:33
• 7 Trio Sonata in E Minor, BuxWV 258 07:07
• Total Runtime 59:16

Info for Buxtehude: Trio Sonatas, Op. 1

For this recording of music by Buxtehude, Jonathan Cohen, founder of the ensemble Arcangelo, is joined by a distinguished trio, including two regulars on the Alpha label, Sophie Gent and Thomas Dunford, alongside the gambist Jonathan Manson. Although Dietrich Buxtehude is famous above all for his organ music and cantatas, and for the long journey the young Bach undertook to meet him, his chamber music is virtually unknown. In the mid-1690s, at the height of his fame, Buxtehude published two collections in rapid succession, each comprising seven sonatas for violin, viola da gamba and basso continuo. It is the works of the first collection (1694) – designated Opus 1 in the print – that Arcangelo has recorded here. These sonatas are characterised by pronounced experimental features in both the scoring and the handling of the instruments.

Arcangelo
Jonathan Cohen, direction

Arcangelo
is an award-winning, internationally acclaimed period performance ensemble led by its founder and artistic director Jonathan Cohen. Its ethos is ruled by a determination to apply the deep listening skills and artistry of chamber music making to every piece in its repertoire. The ensemble’s collective energy and spirit continue to generate a flood of critical awards and five-star reviews, spark audience ovations, and prompt invitations to the foremost international venues and festivals. Announced in 2024 as the first-ever Principal Ensemble in Residence at the London Handel Festival, Arcangelo was also the first-ever named Baroque Ensemble in Residence at Wigmore Hall, where it maintains a close artistic relationship. Its three appearances at the BBC Proms include the Proms premiere of Handel’s Theodora and a televised performance of Bach’s St Matthew Passion. In the past four years, Arcangelo has appeared at the Vienna Konzerthaus, Liszt Academy Budapest, Barbican Centre, De Singel Antwerp, De Bijloke Ghent, Santander International Festival, Zentrum Paul Klee Bern, Teatro Colón Buenos Aires, Teatro Municipal Rio de Janeiro, Sala São Paulo, and a second season residency at Wigmore Hall, with soloists including Louise Alder, Nicolas Altstaedt, Avi Avital, Iestyn Davies, Barnabas Kelemen, Katharina Konradi, and Carolyn Sampson. Arcangelo has previously appeared at Carnegie Hall, Snape Maltings, MA Festival Brugge, Dresden Arts Festival, Tonhalle Zürich and Philharmonie Köln.

Arcangelo’s critically lauded discography now comprises a total of 30 releases, including the launch of the first new British studio recording in almost 25 years of Handel’s Theodora. Further highlights include Buxtehude’s Trio Sonatas Op.1 on Alpha Classics, nominated for a 2018 Grammy Award; two Gramophone Award-winning albums with Iestyn Davies; a BBC Music Magazine Award-winning survey of cello concerti by C.P.E. Bach with soloist Nicolas Altstaedt; a 2021 studio recording of Handel’s Brockes Passion on Alpha Classics, named Album of the Week by BBC Radio 3 and The Sunday Times and a multiply-nominated concept recording with mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey, Tiranno, hailed by Gramophone as “a model of what a recital album can be”.

In 2020, Arcangelo launched its New Ensemblists programme to develop the next generation of ensemble musicians specialised in period performance. The scheme provides a two-year programme of bespoke training and opportunities to outstandingly promising young musicians.

Jonathan Cohen
is one of Britain’s finest young musicians. He has forged a remarkable career as a conductor, cellist and keyboardist. Well known for his passion and commitment to chamber music Jonathan is equally at home in such diverse activities as baroque opera and the classical symphonic repertoire. He is Artistic Director of Arcangelo, Associate Conductor of Les Arts Florissants, Artistic Director of Tetbury Festival and Artistic Partner of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Jonny becomes Music Director of Les Violons du Roy from the 2018/19 season and in the interim he is Music Director Designate.

2017/18 sees return visits for Jonathan to Les Violons du Roy, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Glyndebourne Opera for Guilio Cesare. He makes his debut with Konzerthaus Orchester Berlin, Iceland Symphony Orchestra and Orchestre Philharmonique de Liege and has appearances with his ensemble Arcangelo, which he founded in 2010 and with whom he has performed at venues such as Wigmore Hall London, Philharmonie Berlin, Kölner Philharmonie, Vienna Musikverein, Salzburg Festival and Carnegie Hall New York. Other recent highlights include a European tour with Vilde Frang with concerts at Oslo Opera House and Tonhalle Zürich. In 2016, Jonathan conducted Arcangelo for their BBC Proms debut at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.

Arcangelo are in much demand in the recording studio, partnering fine soloists such as Iestyn Davies (their disc Arias for Guadagni won the Recital Category at the 2012 Gramophone Awards), Anna Prohaska, and Christopher Purves. Together with Scene! with Christiane Karg, Arcangelo’s disc Arias for Benucci with Matthew Rose was nominated for a 2016 International Opera Award. Their latest release is of CPE Bach Cello Concerti with Nicolas Altstaedt, which won the BBC Music Magazine Awards’ Concerto category in 2017.

This album contains no booklet.