Nicolai (?), Johann Nicolaus († 1728): Sonata F major  

for alto recorder and basso continuo, edited by Peter Thalheimer. Nicolai joined the court of Crown Prince Friedrich Ludwig von Württemberg-Stuttgart between 1699 and 1704, having previously worked in Munich. This unusual sonata starts with a toccata-like, free Adagio, followed by a virtuoso Allegro, in which treble part and bass enter into a melodic dialogue as equal partners. The third movement is a Passacaglia, in which the recorder unfurls above a 7-bar(!) ostinato bass. The suite is completed by a delightful, short Minuet. Girolamo