Bach: Sonata for viola da gamba - Van der Velden - Benjamin Alard

From the very first notes, it is clear that Bach wrote the Sonata for gamba in D major, performed here by Mieneke van der Velden and Benjamin Alard for All of Bach, for a top-level gambist. The most likely candidate was the fourteen-year-old Carl Friedrich Abel, a promising gambist who went to study at the Thomasschule in Leipzig in 1737. Under Bach’s wing, he grew into an outstanding musician and composer. Although we cannot be certain, Carl Friedrich’s close ties with Bach and his great talent make him the ideal candidate performer of this sonata. Recorded for the project All of Bach on March 1st 2015 at the Paushuize, Utrecht.