Zelenka: Trio Sonatas

From the first measure to the last, the trio sonatas of Czech composer Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679–1745) hold us in their spell. The combination of instruments — two oboes, bassoon, and basso continuo, with a violin replacing an oboe in the third sonata — is as unique as the music highlighting their colors, which justifies Heinz Holliger’s championing of this long-forgotten corpus. Although the oboes and violin shine as one would expect, Zelenka’s bassoon continuo is nothing short of extraordinary. Like concerti grossi in miniature form, each sonata is a galaxy unto itself.