Johann Jacob Froberger: Ricercar

In 2000, organist/harpsichordist Bob van Asperen began a series of the complete keyboard music of Johann Jacob Froberger for the Aeolus label designed to run to eight volumes, and with this release -- Johann Jacob Froberger: Ricercare -- we reach Vol. 6. This super audio CD contains all 12 of Froberger's fully authenticated ricercare in addition to the two items in this genre -- Nos. 13 and 14 -- that are considered questionable for Froberger. Although van Asperen has visited the toccatas in an earlier volume of the series, ... Read More

In 2000, organist/harpsichordist Bob van Asperen began a series of the complete keyboard music of Johann Jacob Froberger for the Aeolus label designed to run to eight volumes, and with this release -- Johann Jacob Froberger: Ricercare -- we reach Vol. 6. This super audio CD contains all 12 of Froberger's fully authenticated ricercare in addition to the two items in this genre -- Nos. 13 and 14 -- that are considered questionable for Froberger. Although van Asperen has visited the toccatas in an earlier volume of the series, here he adds three more that exist in a manuscript originating with the school of Frescobaldi in Italy that are ascribed to Froberger, who may have been a late student of Frescobaldi, but not officially placed in Froberger's retinue by the time of release. Although the three "Chigi Toccatas" -- as they have been called -- are adjudged as rather conservative pieces among some Froberger experts, the Toccata 3a is certainly a wild piece with its hair-raising discords and flights of... Read Less