Jan Dismas Zelenka was a Czech composer, born in 1679. I really liked what Wikipedia writes about him: “The most appreciated Zelenka's sacred works are represented by masses” – isn't that quite fun that his masses are appreciated by masses?..
Works of Zelenka were twice rediscovered, twice in sixties: in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries respectively. But even this belated recognition can’t anyhow affect the fact that we don’t have a decent portrait of a Baroque master of counterpoint. It seems nonsense (we know all great composers by sight!), but it’s true: we can make assumptions of what a man Zelenka was only listening to his music. It is even more interesting in this way, though.
Zelenka’s Sonata No. 1 is available for download here: Sonata No.1 for Two Oboes (or Two Violins), Bassoon and Basso Continuo, ZWV 181.
No comments:
Post a Comment