Choice Late Baroque Entertainment

The young Johann Friedrich Fasch quickly numbered among Telemann’s admirers and even later in Zerbst, where he found his permanent lifetime post as the chapel master at the Anhalt-Zerbst court, he always remained true to his model Telemann. Nevertheless, in Zerbst, above all owing to artistic networking with the Dresden court orchestra and its concertmaster Johann Georg Pisendel (both musicians had previously become acquainted in Leipzig), Fasch developed into a composer delighting very much in innovation above all in the field of instrumental music. This fact is impressively demonstrated by his compositional contributions to the genres of the overture suite, concerto, symphony, and sonata, and after occupation with Fasch had begun again it was also this progressiveness that enthused music scholars – (above all Hugo Riemann already in 1900) and has continued to fascinate musicians and musicologists through to the present. For instance, Fasch also hit upon the highly original idea of combining the French overture and the Italian sinfonia form. Until now these compositions have been subsumed under the overture suites; in truth, however, they represent a new work type for which the term »overture symphony« suggests itself. His music most beautifully brings to life the musical ideals of the late baroque period, is always carefully elaborated, and offers choice entertainment. Appropriately, this year’s Fasch Prize awarded since 1993 for special service in the popularization or investigation of Fasch’s life and work was bestowed on Ludger Rémy, the conductor and harpsichordist on our current Fasch CD. Congratulations!