Corelli, Handel: Sonatas

The name of the young Czech virtuoso Michaela Koudelková should be committed well to memory. She has far more going for her than just the names of her teachers (Peter Holtslag, Erik Bosgraaf). She is a winner of the Tel Aviv Recorder Competition and a finalist of the York Early Music International Young Artists Competition in England, and her solo recitals have included an appearance at the prestigious Oude Muziek Festival in Utrecht. Her Supraphon debut, for which she has chosen masterworks by Handel and Corelli, showcases her uncompromising technique, but above all it shows her supreme musical sensitivity and her interpretive stylishness, including the ability to improvise, participating in the recreation of notated works. Of all the sonatas listed on the album, only one is intended for her instrument; the rest were originally for violin or transverse flute. Of course, a characteristic of the baroque era was great freedom in the choice of solo instruments, as is clear from period printed editions, and the recorder was very popular at the time. Besides the most common alto and soprano recorders, the recording also features an instrument with a darker timbre, the voice flute in D, which was popular in England, and the sixth flute, pitched an octave higher and often used for music played between acts of Handel’s London operas. Besides sonatas by Handel, the soloist has also chosen three sonatas from Corelli’s Opus 5. Over the centuries, the art of improvisation has been taught using the passaggi in the slow movements of the twelve violin sonatas in this iconic collection. The last and most famous sonata, “Follia”, is the brilliant and rather experimental climax of the album, combining the creativity of the composer with that of the performers.

Lightness, liveliness, spontaneity, bravura, intoxicating richness of sound – Michaela Koudelková’s exciting Handel and Corelli

01 Sonata No. 4 in F Major, Op. 5_ I. Adagio
02 Sonata No. 4 in F Major, Op. 5_ II. Allegro
03 Sonata No. 4 in F Major, Op. 5_ III. Vivace
04 Sonata No. 4 in F Major, Op. 5_ IV. Adagio
05 Sonata No. 4 in F Major, Op. 5_ V. Allegro
06 Recorder Sonata in D Minor, HWV 367a_ I. Largo
07 Recorder Sonata in D Minor, HWV 367a_ II. Vivace
08 Recorder Sonata in D Minor, HWV 367a_ III. Furioso
09 Recorder Sonata in D Minor, HWV 367a_ IV. Adagio
10 Recorder Sonata in D Minor, HWV 367a_ V. Alla breve
11 Recorder Sonata in D Minor, HWV 367a_ VI. Andante
12 Recorder Sonata in D Minor, HWV 367a_ VII. A Tempo di Menuet
13 Sonata No. 5 in G Major, Op. 1, HWV 363b_ I. Adagio
14 Sonata No. 5 in G Major, Op. 1, HWV 363b_ II. Allegro
15 Sonata No. 5 in G Major, Op. 1, HWV 363b_ III. Adagio
16 Sonata No. 5 in G Major, Op. 1, HWV 363b_ IV. Bourrée
17 Sonata No. 5 in G Major, Op. 1, HWV 363b_ V. Menuetto
18 Flute Sonata No. 1b in E Minor, Op. 1, HWV 359b_ I. Grave
19 Flute Sonata No. 1b in E Minor, Op. 1, HWV 359b_ II. Allegro
20 Flute Sonata No. 1b in E Minor, Op. 1, HWV 359b_ III. Adagio
21 Flute Sonata No. 1b in E Minor, Op. 1, HWV 359b_ IV. Allegro
22 Sonata No. 6 in C Major, Op. 5_ I. Grave
23 Sonata No. 6 in C Major, Op. 5_ II. Allegro – Adagio
24 Sonata No. 6 in C Major, Op. 5_ III. Allegro
25 Sonata No. 6 in C Major, Op. 5_ IV. Adagio
26 Sonata No. 6 in C Major, Op. 5_ V. Allegro
27 Sonata No. 13 in F Major, Op. 1, HWV 371_ I. Afetuoso
28 Sonata No. 13 in F Major, Op. 1, HWV 371_ II. Allegro
29 Sonata No. 13 in F Major, Op. 1, HWV 371_ III. Larghetto
30 Sonata No. 13 in F Major, Op. 1, HWV 371_ IV. Allegro
31 Sonata No. 12 in D Minor, Op. 5 _Follia_