Johann Friedrich Fasch (1688 - 1758)

[jlaurson]

Fasch had no thread? Shame on us. Here it is [...] to discuss the work and life of this wonderful post-Bach baroque composer. To get things started, a review of two recent Fasch-recordings.

latest on Forbes:

Classical CD Of The Week: Fasch, A Classical Misunderstanding



http://www.forbes.com/sites/jenslaurson/2016/09/19/emmanuelle-haim-can-handel-the-vienna-philharmonic/#7a9ac3e11d2e

...Johann Friedrich Fasch was in line for a major renaissance in the early 20th century, when enthusiasts worldwide worked toward a better appreciation of his genius. Unfortunately, history steamrolled over the First International Union of Faschists*.

[San Antone]

Interesting guy ...

His works include cantatas, concertos, symphonies, and chamber music. None of his music was published in his lifetime, and according to The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians in 2014, "it appears that most of his vocal works (including 9 complete cantata cycles, at least 14 masses and four operas) are lost, while the instrumental works are mostly extant."

However, his music was "widely performed" in his day and was held in high regard by contemporaries. Georg Philipp Telemann performed a cycle of his church cantatas in 1733 in Hamburg; an organ work once attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach as BWV 585 is now known to be an arrangement of movements from a Fasch trio sonata; and Bach's Collegium Musicum in Leipzig (a different group than the one founded by Fasch) performed some of Fasch's Orchestral Suites (ten of them, according to Hugo Reimann in 1900, based on his examination of copies in the library of the St. Thomas School, which Reimann said were partly in Bach's hand. Only one of these suites survived World War II; it is in the hand of Bach's student Carl Gotthelf Gerlach).

In 1900, Reimann asserted that Fasch's style was an important link between the Baroque and Classical periods, and that he was one of those who "set instrumental music entirely on its feet and displaced fugal writing with modern 'thematic' style'"; a New Grove's entry on Fasch states, "Later research has largely confirmed [Reimann's] assessment."

The only recordings I've heard are these:





Which were pleasant enough.  Probably time to revisit those two and find more to listen to. 

[Scion7]

I had seen so many posts on his stuff, I assumed he had one.
Good composer - like his music.

[The new erato]

This is an all-time favorite, cannot recommend it highly enough:

[asin]B0002O37WC[/asin]

[jlaurson]

This is an all-time favorite, cannot recommend it highly enough:

Thanks for the tip! It's right on the wish-list.

[North Star]

Well it says in the OP that it was edited by Que. I don't know if humorlessness was the reason so much as making the thread forum search engine-friendly in the long run.

I don't know Fasch's music, but the Dombrecht disc does look good. Also available in this budget reissue set:

[asin]B00I6522W0[/asin]

[San Antone]

Fasch had no thread? Shame on us. Here it is [...] to discuss the work and life of this wonderful post-Bach baroque composer. To get things started, a review of two recent Fasch-recordings.

latest on Forbes:

Classical CD Of The Week: Fasch, A Classical Misunderstanding



http://www.forbes.com/sites/jenslaurson/2016/09/19/emmanuelle-haim-can-handel-the-vienna-philharmonic/#7a9ac3e11d2e

...Johann Friedrich Fasch was in line for a major renaissance in the early 20th century, when enthusiasts worldwide worked toward a better appreciation of his genius. Unfortunately, history steamrolled over the First International Union of Faschists*.

Unfortunately I cannot read your article because Forbes insists I disable my ad blocking software before it will allow me to view the page.

[jlaurson]

Unfortunately I cannot read your article because Forbes insists I disable my ad blocking software before it will allow me to view the page.

Really? Forbes.com does have issues, I'll be the first one to admit. But I use an ad blocker in Firefox - and that gets me in just fine.

[San Antone]

Same on Firefox - but I guess if I had FB or Google+ I could sign in.   Sorry.

[knight66]

This thread has been edited. It is not acceptable to publish PM material onto the public areas of the site without the agreement of those involved. Such instances will, as in this instance, be deleted or edited and a formal warning issued.

Knight

[71 dB]

Fasch was an awesome "modernist" of his day. A contemporary of J. S. Bach, his music is quite different and "fresh".

I enjoy this composer a lot and I have some 10 CDs of music by him. CPO has been great releasing Fasch. My favorite Fasch CD is perhaps this:

[asin]B00000130L[/asin]

I find Fasch's music for Chalumeau especially interesting and enjoyable. His style suites so well for an instrument with that kind of sound.

Naxos has put out one Fasch disc and I can recommend it. I enjoy it a lot:

[asin]B000ZJVI5M[/asin]

Anyone who likes German baroque music should not overlook this master.  0:)

[71 dB]

This is an all-time favorite, cannot recommend it highly enough:

[asin]B0002O37WC[/asin]

Thanks for the tip! I have been considering that disc. 

[Gurn Blanston]

Looking through my rather modest Fasch collection, and other than the odd work here and there in a collection, I have only this one disk, but it is a very good one, so may have me hunting down another or two.

[SonicMan46]

TTT after 8 years!

Fasch, Johann (1688-1758) - German composer, contemporary of JS Bach, and composer of over 300 works (likely many more lost or unfound); according to the listing of Rüdiger Pfeiffer's now out-dated Fasch Werke Verzeichnis (Source), about 100 were sacred and 200 or more instrumental (Source) - a nice short bio HERE - there is also an International Fasch Society located in Zerbst, Germany (he was Kapellmeister there from 1722 until his death).

At present, I own the 12 CDs below of his instrument music, a majority on period instruments and a wealth of variety - my favorites and in the top two rows.  Dave