J.S. Bach & Sons: Flute Sonatas

Three years after their album of works by J.S. Bach, flautist Toshiyuki Shibata and keyboard player Anthony Romaniuk have now released J.S. Bach & Sons: Flute Sonatas. The album features  works not only by Bach but also by his sons Carl Philipp Emanuel and Wilhelm Friedemann, “the most original and innovative” of the lineage, according to Shibata.

Both musicians were trained in historically informed interpretation in Belgium and admit their fascination for Art Nouveau, stating that it harmoniously combines tradition and innovation, They have also been influenced by other musical traditions, including Jazz and Contemporary Music.

“Preludes and improvisation were essential elements of music-making in the 18th century — for us it’s natural to add preludes and postludes to our performances,” says Shibata, who plays three traversos, copies of instruments by after Buffardin, Eigentopf and Quantz.

Romaniuk plays a Flemish harpsichord and a Silbermann fortepiano. Their program includes improvised preludes, a bold ending to BWV 1032/I and an original extra movement — a Gigue from BWV 997 with influences from several genres woven into its bass line, honoring both tradition and invention.

Toshiyuki Shibata, Flute
Anthony Romaniuk, Keyboards