00:30Johann Adolf Hasse was, in his time, one of the most respected musicians in Europe.
00:37For much of the 18th century, his name was almost synonymous with music itself,
00:42and yet today, he is still not often performed.
00:47He was born in Germany, but chose Italy as his artistic home,
00:52becoming one of the leading opera composers of his time.
00:56He was married to Faustina Bordoni, one of the leading operatic singers,
01:01and together, they were regarded as the most celebrated musical couple in Europe.
01:22In 1758, London publisher John Walsh, sensing a commercial opportunity,
01:29issued a collection of six harpsichord sonatas under Hasse's name.
01:33These pieces were likely composed at different moments in his career,
01:37and were assembled by Walsh to provide the avid London public with keyboard music by the celebrated opera composer.
01:45It is therefore not surprising that Walsh, well known for placing commercial interests above artistic ones,
01:52included music by other composers, without naming them, simply to complete the set.
01:57The result is a hybrid collection, but nevertheless one that reflects the musical taste of its time.
02:15For this recording, I had the rare opportunity to play an original harpsichord built in Amsterdam in 1768
02:22by Carl Friedrich Leske, now housed in the Men of Van Delft collection.
02:28It is one of the only three surviving 18th century harpsichord built in Amsterdam,
02:33and the beauty of its sounds matches perfectly the elegance of Hasse's sonatas.
02:39I also chose to explore both common and less common registration,
02:44in order to bring out as many nuances of this repertoire as possible.
02:48Thank you so much for joining us.
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