J. S. BACH FLUTE SONATAS Product #DE 3402JOSHUA SMITH, flute
JORY VINIKOUR, harpsichord


Sonata in B Minor, BWV 1030
Sonata in G Minor, BWV 1020
Sonata in E-flat Major, BWV 1031
Partita in A Minor for solo flute, BWV 1013
Sonata in A Major, BWV 1032


This album is dedicated to the memory of Delos founder Amelia S. Haygood, who especially loved Bach, and would have celebrated these fresh and invigorating performances.
— Carol Rosenberger

Joshua Smith is aptly known for his “gorgeous sound, bracing virtuosity, and breathtaking lyricism.” His collaborator Jory Vinikour — whose new Delos set of Handel suites has already received raves from Gramophone and others — remarks on Joshua’s “innate musical sensitivity and his absolutely unparalleled range of dynamics and articulation.”

“Baroque music is a highly personal, even improvisational style that can and should be approached with a sense of lightness and cheer,” Joshua writes in his album commentary. “Bach’s sonatas for flute and keyboard are wonderful dialogues, equally demanding of the musicianship of both partners. Working with Jory Vinikour is a pleasure because we respond to each other in ways that transform our performances into unrestrained conversations. We have tried to capture this spontaneity in these recordings.”

Principal Flute of the Cleveland Orchestra since 1990, Joshua Smith enjoys a multi-faceted career as a leading soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, teacher, and clinician.

In the album notes James A. Winn provides a fitting summary: “As these fresh performances show, the sonatas themselves are an endlessly renewable resource, an opportunity for the flutist and the harpsichord player to engage with a composer whose creative gift, though shaped by his particular time, continues to resonate in ours.”

Total Playing Time: 66:21
DDD

Price: $14.98