HARMONISCHE FREUDE

Chandos Records Chaconne CHAN0809

Austral Harmony’s recording Harmonische Freude features baroque oboe, natural trumpets and chamber organ in an intimate context. The music by Johann Sebastian Bach and his extended circle, including talented pupils Johann Ludwig Krebs and Gottfried August Homilius, is intricately scored and finely inventive.

Inspiration comes from Georg Friedrich Kauffmann’s concept of having an oboist imitate an organ stop by playing from the organ loft. Chorale melodies provide a focal point, with four different trumpets and an oboe d’amore lending expressivity to the hymn tunes. The musical idiom often reflects the progressive and predominantly melodic galant style which ushered in the ideals of the Classical era.

Released on the Chaconne early music label for Chandos Records, and described as "beautifully, joyously performed" by Gramophone magazine.

Reviews

"The greatest joy of this disc though is simply the sound of Jane Downer’s effortlessly fluid and gracefully phrased oboe playing, particularly in the pieces where the oboe has a full solo line: a recently discovered sonata by Gottfried August Homilius and a Fantasia in G minor by Krebs, as well as the reworked Organ Trio BWV 527."Jane Shuttleworth, North East : Music Monthly
"A carefully imagined, rather enchanting soundscape of mid-18th-century Lutheran Leipzig... beautifully, joyously performed, this is a thought-provoking disc."Julie-Anne Sadie, Gramophone
"The playing is extraordinary... a perfect ensemble, both respecting individual parts and forming a whole that can only be described as – joy!"Amazon customer (5 stars)
"This disc not only introduces us to the fascinating world of organ plus instruments, but enables us to hear music by Bach's pupils, younger contemporaries and colleagues. But more than that, it makes a lovely satisfying musical programme."Robert Hugill, World of Classical Music
"A fascinating selection of lesser known contemporaries of Bach and of course the great man himself. An absolute must for lovers of the oboe d'amore and the mellifluous woody tones of a small chamber organ. Heard a track on BBC Radio 3 one morning and sent off for it immediately. Let's have some more from this unusual Australian group!"Amazon customer (5 stars)
"I too heard this on BBC Radio and count myself lucky I was late for work that day!"Amazon customer (5 stars)
"Expertly selected and played, Downer adds her oboe voice to a soulful Andante, an Adagio e dolce to make you weep."Elisabeth Silsbury, The Music Trust
"Trumpeter Simon Desbruslais and, to an even greater extent, oboist Jane Downer, show what great beauty can be wrung from arcane instruments by those with the dedication and talent to overcome the difficulties of technique and tuning."Jane Shuttleworth, North East : Music Monthly
"Sublime playing of little known, beautiful pieces by talented musicians. What's not to like?"Amazon customer (5 stars)
"By involving both oboe and trumpet in works originally for two instruments, Austral Harmony have in effect created a new, niche chamber repertoire, an extremely attractive one at that."Julie-Anne Sadie, Gramophone
"Beginning with the very first notes of the disc, as the oboe rises sweetly through the opening phrase of a fantasia on Wachet Auf by Krebs the music gently lifts the spirits."Jane Shuttleworth, North East : Music Monthly
"The three performers produce a lovely blend of highly sophisticated chamber music and make us really think that these three instruments were made to be together."Robert Hugill, World of Classical Music

Booking Enquiry

Jane Downer and Austral Harmony are available for concert and recital performance, keynote presentations and educative workshops, programme note authoring, and individual lessons, coaching sessions, and classes covering a range of topics which are tailored to suit circumstances, and tutored in a manner that is relevant to modern-day music teaching.

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Austral Harmony
is based in Oxford,
United Kingdom