Flute Sonata BWV 1031

Johann  Sebastian  Bach  has  left us three flute sonatas with obbligato
keyboard parts: the great sonata in B minor BWV 1030  (available  in   C
minor for alto recorder from Universal Edition 18748), this sonata in Eb
major BWV 1031, and the sonata in A major BWV 1032 (available in C major
for alto recorder from www.pjb.com.au).

The  manuscript  of  the  Sonata  in  Eb  is  a  copy from C.P.E. Bach's
collection, titled Es d. Trio / Fürs obligate Clavier u. die Flöte / Von
J.  S.  Bach  in  C.P.E.  Bach's  handwriting.  But its authenticity was
contested by Friedrich Blume who considered it too "galant",  said  that
it  was  "sicher  nicht  von  Bach", and excluded it from the Neue Bach-
Ausgabe, and hence from editions derived from  that.   Details  of  this
episode  are given in Robert Marshall's essay "The Compositions for Solo
Flute: A Reconsideration of their Authenticity and Chronology", from his
collection of essays "The Music of J. S. Bach", in which Marshall argues
for the sonata's restoration to the canon.   In  the  judgement  of  the
arranger,  this sonata is certainly by J.S. Bach.  It is simply too good
to have been written by anybody else.   It  is  galant  because  he  was
writing  a  flute  sonata;  it is no more galant than the the organ Trio
Sonatas, or the Brandenburg Concerti.

Recorder players have several ways of playing this sonata.  On  a  Voice
Flute  it can be played up one semitone in E major, and a harpsichordist
should also be able to  perform  this  transposition  at  sight  from  a
standard  edition  in  Eb;  alternatively,  a Voice Flute at A 415 would
allow a harpsichord at A 440  to  read  directly  in  Eb.   On  a  Tenor
recorder  it  can  be  played  down  one semitone in D major, or a Tenor
recorder at A 440 would allow a harpsichord at A 415 to read directly in
Eb.

The   Alto   recorder  usually  plays  transverse  flute  repertoire  by
transposing up three semitones; however, the key of Gb  is  impractical,
and  this  arrangement  makes  the  sonata  available transposed up four
semitones into G major.  In this key, the keyboard part lies high.   The
highest  note  is  f  in  bar  125  of  the  final  Allegro,  which will
inconvenience harpsichordists; but it occurs in this  bar  only.   If  a
piano  is being used, the high key brings a lightness to the sound which
suits the recorder well.  This edition adds an important  piece  to  the
repertoire of the alto recorder.

                             Peter J Billam

                           www.pjb.com.au/mus