Bach’s Six Trio Sonatas, BWV 525-530, were originally written as practice works for his son Wilhelm Friedemann (b.1710) when Wilhelm was learning the organ. Here these well-known sonatas are completely reimagined and transformed into colourful, expressive, instrumental chamber works.

It was Bach himself who founded the tradition of transcribing his own music for different instrumental groupings, a process later taken up by many composers, including Mozart. Robert King has arranged and adapted these six organ works to involve a range of instrumental colours, selecting from a pool of five melody instruments (two violins, viola, oboe, and oboe d’amore) the combination of instruments most suited to each particular sonata. Underpinning these comes a similarly diverse continuo accompaniment of cello, theorbo, harpsichord and chamber organ.

In the hands of an outstanding group of instrumentalists – violinists Kati Debretzeni and Huw Daniel, violist Rose Redgrave, oboe and oboe d’amore player Frances Norbury, and the equally experienced continuo team of Robin Michael, Eligio Quinteiro and Robert King – these sonatas bring a deliciously intimate and conversational quality to Bach’s music that is quite distinct to that achieved at the organ. The addition of chordal instruments to the bass line also creates a very different harmonic foundation for the pairs of melody instruments. Across six wonderfully varied sonatas, the resultant rich harmonic and instrumental palette brings virtuoso playing that showcases Bach’s melodic and harmonic genius. 

The recording was made by award-winning engineer David Hinitt in the fine acoustic of Alpheton New Maltings, enabling a recording of exceptional clarity and warmth.

Extensive presentation includes a 32 page booklet with liner note (in three languages) by Robert King, together with four pages of session photos and reproductions of two of Bach’s manuscripts.