Platti · 6 Flute Sonatas, Op. 3

Giovanni Benedetto Platti had his musical apprenticeship in Venice, where his teachers may have included older contemporaries such as Vivaldi. From 1722 until his death in 1763 he was employed at the episcopal court in Würzburg, described as an oboist and violinist, greatly respected for his virtuosity. His Flute Sonatas, presumably composed over a number of years, range from the late baroque to the early classical in style.

 Little is known of the early years of the Italian musician, Giovanni Benedetto Platti, even his date of birth being unclear, but was probably 1697. His teachers could have included Vivaldi or Albinoni, as he was an oboist and violinist of such quality that in 1722 he was taken to Germany and engaged to play in the court orchestra of Prince-Bishop of Bamberg and Wurzburg. It was there he was to spend the rest of his life, becoming the highest paid member of the court musicians, even ranked above the kapellmeister. He also appears to have been a teacher and a quite prolific composer. Whether he could play the flute is unclear, though at the time an oboist would probably have been proficient on the type of flute that predated the transverse instrument.

The concertos were composed in 1743 and, as was tradition at the time, were in a group of six, though they are in character markedly different?At the time they would have represented a stiff technical challenge to the soloist, though the accompaniment is functional. Playing a period instrument, the Norwegian flautist, Paul Wahlberg is a specialist in this era of composition, and plays with the nimbleness required. Try the fourth sonata for a sample, particularly as it is here accompanied by the clavichord, giving the impression of a strummed guitar that really suits the music. In total we are not talking about major discoveries, but these are engaging, unassuming pieces, nicely crafted, pleasing melodies and each ending with a happy and vivacious finale. The recording is nicely balanced.