New Arts International

- A complete world premiere recording of Johannes Schenck’s Opus 7 – Vol. 2, revealing a long-overlooked Baroque masterpiece
- A richly inventive collection blending Italian sonata form, French dance suites, and Stylus phantasticus into a uniquely cosmopolitan Baroque language
- Featuring the monumental Aria XVIII with six variations, crowning the cycle with dazzling compositional artistry
- Performed by the internationally acclaimed Ensemble Castor, celebrated for its expertise in historical performance practice
- The highly anticipated continuation of a Schenck project whose first volume received internationally rave reviews

Ensemble Castor continues its acclaimed journey into the sound world of Johannes Schenck with the second volume of Suonate per violino e violone o cimbalo, Op. 7 presented here as a complete world premiere recording. Published in 1699, Opus 7 stands as a dazzling compendium of Schenck’s compositional imagination, blending Italian sonata form, French dance suites, and the expressive freedom of the Stylus phantasticus into a richly varied musical tapestry. Far from the modest claim that these works were written “quickly for beginners,” the collection reveals profound artistry, virtuosic interplay, and an almost inexhaustible delight in experimentation from inventive Capriccios to the radiant Aria XVIII with its six variations crowning the cycle.

With their deep commitment to historical performance practice and their refined chamber music dialogue, the Austrian musicians of Ensemble Castor bring this extraordinary repertoire vividly to life. Following the international success of the first volume, praised worldwide for its brilliance and stylistic authority, this new release further illuminates Schenck’s genius a composer-virtuoso whose music transcends borders and fashions. In the hands of Petra Samhaber-Eckhardt, Philipp Comploi, and Erich Traxler, Opus 7 unfolds as a living conversation across centuries: bold, elegant, and irresistibly expressive.

Suonate per violino e violone o cimbalo Op. 7 - Vol. 2