Claves Record

Peter-Lukas Graf : Back to Bach

On his first recording (for Jecklin) he was accompanied by harpsichord and viola da gamba, and on his second recording (for Claves) he was accompanied by harpsichord and bassoon (CD 50-401); Peter-Lukas Graf now returns with a third recording of Johann Sebastian Bach’s flute sonatas, this time accompanied by his daughter Aglaia on a modern grand piano. The great Swiss musician (who has made more than 30 recordings for Claves!) considers this recording somewhat as a personal testament. It is a return to the source, a “balance sheet” after decades of performing in service of the music. And it is proof that the seemingly infinite chasm separating “baroque” and “modern” is more illusory than real. “Playing Baroque music on instruments ‘modernized’ during the 19th century represents a challenge to current trends”, he states in the program notes. But the clarity of his interpretation of the authentic Bach flute sonatas on “non-authentic” instruments transcends the cleft dividing the schools of thought by going directly to the heart of the music – to the great pleasure of flute lovers and fans of the great flutist!