Ensemble Castor continues its celebrated journey through the musical world of Johannes Schenck with the second installment of the Sonatas for Violin and Violone or Harpsichord, op. 7, presented here in its entirety as a world premiere recording. Published in 1699, opus 7 proves to be a breathtaking compendium of Schenck's compositional imagination, where Italian sonata form, French dance suite, and the expressive freedom of the stylus phantasticus together weave a richly nuanced musical fabric.

Far from the modest claim that these works were written "quickly for beginners," the collection reveals a profound artistic depth, virtuosic interplay, and an almost inexhaustible pleasure in experimentation, from inventive capriccios to the radiant Aria XVIII, which crowns the cycle with its six variations.

With their deep commitment to historical performance practice and their subtle chamber music dialogue, the Austrian musicians of Ensemble Castor bring this extraordinary repertoire to life in an impressive manner. Following the international success of the first installment (jpc 12168647), which was praised worldwide for its brilliance and stylistic authority, this new release puts Schenck's genius even more in the spotlight—a composing virtuoso whose music transcends boundaries and fashions. In the hands of Petra Samhaber-Eckhardt, Philipp Comploi, and Erich Traxler, Opus 7 unfolds as a lively dialogue across the centuries: daring, elegant, and irresistibly expressive.