Music At The Court Of Friedrich II: The Transverse Flute In Potsdam – Gabriele Formenti

Few historical figures had such a relevant importance for the transverse flute as that of Frederick II of Prussia, “the Great”. An enlightened sovereign and a passionate musician, Frederick II von Hohenzollern preferred practising for hours under the guidance of his flute teacher, the authoritative musician Johann Joachim Quantz, instead of providing for the war duties to which his role called him. Beyond any other consideration about his figure, however, Frederick II is today an absolute reference point not only for flutists, but also for all those who are passionate for Baroque music. In his court, in fact, some of the most important musicians of the time could be found; they were drawn to Potsdam not only by the prestige, but also by the actually copious money which the King generously invested in order to secure for himself the very best musicians. Thus, an unrepeatable concentration of musical talent could be found in a single place: Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Quantz (whom we cited above), the Graun brothers and Franz Benda, to cite but few. This discographic project aims therefore to recount that fragment of music history, and to describe the atmosphere which deeply impressed even the great Johann Sebastian Bach during his famous journey to Court in 1747. That occasion would provoke the creation of one of Bach’s most complex compositions, i.e. the Musical Offering BWV 1079. It is not by chance, therefore, that the album opens with the famous Thema Regium, which, according to legend, was dictated by Frederick himself to J. S. Bach. Later, we find a composition by Frederick himself. In this A-minor Sonata are found all the stylistic elements recognizable in most of the music composed at his Court – indeed, today we speak of a “Berlin style” with reference to the works explicitly conceived for Frederick’s transverse flute.
This piece is followed by a Trio Sonata by Bach, which survived in no less than two versions: one is for viola da gamba and obbligato harpsichord (BWV 1027), and another for two transverse flutes and continuo (BWV 1039). Here we propose a new and unpublished adaptation for solo transverse flute with obbligato harpsichord. Compositions by Carl Heinrich Graun, Johann Joachim Quantz and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach complete this journey inside Frederick’s court. In their works, a knowledgeable compositional style for the flute emerges; it is enriched (as in the case of the famous G-major Sonata by C. P. E. Bach) by typically style galante elements, which Frederick’s preferred music would increasingly favour. In the programme’s conclusion, there is a contemporary homage to Frederick II and to his Court, i.e. Abschied von Potsdam. Positioned as an ideal coda at the end of the album, Abschied von Potsdam pays homage to a joyful – but, at the same time, dramatic – moment in the life of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach.
It was his farewell, in 1768, to Frederick’s Court, where he had worked for almost thirty years, and suffered a treatment which did not correspond to his value. His occasion for abandoning the court was his appointment as Musical Director and Cantor in Hamburg, replacing Georg Philipp Telemann after his death. This piece is a Passacaille with an introduction and coda, grounded on a series of ten notes (four of which are repeated). They are drawn by lot and constitute a line upon which the Variations are weaved. For this last piece only, I decided to use a modern ebony Böhm flute with silver mechanism, capable of rendering all of the piece’s dynamic nuances. Finally, I wish to mention that this discographic project began after I got acquainted with the copy of Frederick II’s flute realized by the Milanese flute-maker Fabio Di Natale. This instrument, unique in its genre, convinced me to realize this homage to Frederick II and to his court. I would like therefore to thank Fabio Di Natale for lending me this precious instrument.