Joseph Jones and Friends - Sonatas for Bassoon - J. E. Galliard (1687−1749)

Joseph Jones, baroque bassoon, is joined by Charles Asch, baroque cello, and Donald Livingston, harpsichord, in this Midtown Concerts series presentation of "Naturally Expressed in Music: the pioneering musical style of J. E. Galliard (1687−1749)," broadcast via YouTube and Facebook on September 24, 2020. In his program notes, Jones writes: "Johann Ernest Galliard (1687−1747) was himself a minor musical institution in the London music scene of the first half of the eighteenth century....It was in 1733, at the height of his notoriety, that Galliard decided to publish his Six Sonatas for Bassoon and Continuo. Magnum opus? Maybe, but certainly they have all the charm and spirit of a man who knew how to write for a crowd. The operative words to describe them are wit and brevity, and it is no stretch to see the influence of his collaborator John Rich in their rhetorical flare, as well as the lyricism Galliard cultivated during his many years writing English vocal music. The Sonatas also display diverse international influences reflecting Galliard’s own background and experience; from German counterpoint, to French (and English) dances, to the ornament-able Italian Sonata style that was so popular in England. "Having mostly forgotten the pantomimes of three centuries ago, in our modern day the name John Galliard is most often encountered by young bassoonists playing these Sonatas. But their relegation as relatively simple pieces misses some of their true character. First and foremost, Galliard was a performer, and his Sonatas were written as vehicles for florid improvisatory virtuosity − some of which we hope to recreate through our performance."