JOHANN JOACHIM QUANTZ (1697 – 1773)

Trio Sonata in c K33 for 2 flutes and basso continuo

Trio sonata in c K33 is one of the few trio sonatas in Quantzs’ repertoire. There are many
characteristics I can cite, which made me choose this musical work.
This piece interested me because it is written for two flutes and this is the instrument that I
practice. There are lots of interesting possibilities with two instruments of the same type.
The fact it was composed by Quantz, considered one of the greatest flautists in the Baroque
period, intrigued me. Quantz makes Trio Sonata in c K33 in an interesting way where he
puts both flutes and the basso continuo in a magnificent fugal ‘game’ in Baroque motifs and
patterns of notes, working with trills and appoggiaturas throughout the whole piece.

Trio sonata is a kind of music which is written involving three distinct part-books but not
necessarily three players. There are three different types of trio sonata we can distinguish: 1)
Trio sonata in consort fantasia style where all parts together have got equal importance
forming, therefore, one harmonic structure with individual melodies. 2) Trio sonata which
shows two equal soprano parts laying in the base part. 3) Trio sonata where only the first
part has got the melody while the second and the bass provide a harmonic support. Trio
sonatas can also be divided by their texture and form into two other categories these are
sonata da chiesa and sonata da camera.
“…any sonata of four movements (slow-fast-slow-fast) without dance titles could be listed
as da chiesa; there would be at least one fugal movement, in general the texture would allow
the bass as much contrapuntal activity as the upper parts, and weighty adagios would balance
polyphonic allegros. A da camera listing would imply at least some of the diversional
qualities of a dance suite; there would often be more than four movements, usually bi-partite
with dance titles, lighter texture and less thematic use of the bass part.” Hogwood,
Christopher (1979) The Trio Sonata, London: British Broadcasting Corporation.
Trio sonata in c K33 has individual characteristics from the consort fantasia style and form
and texture from the sonata da chiesa. It also displays characteristics from, what’s called,
‘the galant style’ which involves characteristics from Bach galanterien (popular French
dance added to the keyboard suites) with a melodic extrapolation from a sequence of
harmonies, without worrying about the tune itself.
It’s written in four movements (andante moderato, allegro, larghetto, presto). All four
movements except for the larghetto work with contrapuntal and fugal devices with equal
importance for all parts including the basso. The larghetto movement written in 6/8 has got
a steady and weighty style without any contrapuntal or fugal devices in the cantabile melody.
Apart from all these characteristics from the sonata da chiesa, the galant style (constant use
of trills and appoggiaturas) and the consort fantasia style, trio sonata in c K33 also displays
characteristics from what we call Quantz’s mixed taste. This involves the Italian styles with
French dance types which he acquired from the great violinist J.G. Pisendel. Edward R
Reilly and Andreas Giger states in The new grove dictionary of music online accessed on
30th October 2002: “the majority of the trio sonatas and the early solo sonatas follow the
four-movement plan of the sonata da chiesa, but incorporate French dance types
characteristics of Quantz’s ‘mixed taste’”.

The dates are not precisely known for all Quantzs’ musical works, but his trio sonatas
seem to originate in the Dresden Court and all influence and reasons for these compositions
were centralised during this period.

Marcio Alan Cursino BA(Hons) in Music yr 1

23/01/2023
 Quantzs’ life can be divided into three periods:
1) 1697 – 1716 childhood and youth in Oberscheden and Merseburg where he started his
musical training with is uncle Justus Quantz and later with his uncles successor (and son-in-
law) J.A. Fleischhack
2) 1716 – 1741 Period when most improvement was made with his performance and
composition at the Dresden Court.
3) 1741 – 1773 Period at the Berlin and Postum Court where he had the remainder of his
career centred on Frederick II the Greats’ privilege.
Quantz began his career in the Dresden Court in March 1716 after receiving an offer from
Heyne for a member of the Dresden town band. In 1717 Quantz moved briefly to Vienna to
study counterpoint with Fux’s pupil J.D. Zelenka. Added to his influence from Vivaldi’s
concertos that he came across in Pirna (1714) and his acceptance as an oboist after an
audition for the Polish chapel in Dresden, Quantz strengthened his interest in composition
since he was placed in an environment that displayed the aspects of politics, commerce,
religion and others.
“…architecture, art and music were cultivated at the court of Dresden with a unique
magnificence that cannot be accounted by for solely by an absolute monarch’s need for
display. The phenomenon must also be seen as an expression of the personal artistic
inclinations an interests of the Princes, their wives and other members of their families”
Reilly Edward R. and Andreas Giger. ‘Dresden, music at court’, The new grove dictionary
of music online ed. L. Macy (accessed 30th October 2002), <http://www.grovemusic.com>
Quantz decided to turn himself for the studies of the transverse flute since he had
opportunity as a flautist in the ensemble. He studied the flute with the French player
Buffardin but it was with Pisendel, violinist representative of the “mixed taste”, that he
acquired a great influence in his performances and compositions. Quantz himself states in
his book On playing the flute translated by Edward R. Reilly (1966 p15). “From this equally
great violinist, worthy concertmaster, excellent musical artist, and truly honest man, I not
only learned how to execute the Adagio, but from him profited most fully in connection with
the selection of compositions and the performance of music in general. By him I was
encouraged to venture further in composition”.
In this time that Quantz was developing his compositions, the music at the Dresden Court
had its peak of magnificence. It was also involved with the Catholic Church, therefore, the
Polish chapel and other ensembles in the court had their duties to Catholicism. Dresden and
the Polish chapel was one of the biggest centres for promoting works from all composers in
Europe. Instrumentalists such as Pisendel, and composers such as Vivaldi influenced native
composers at Dresden including Quantz and his trios.
In 1724 Quantz went to Italy to improve his techniques of composition. He studied
counterpoint with Francesco Gasparini in Rome and met composers such as Alessandro
Scalartti and his son Domenico Scalartti. He also went through France, where he met great
performers at the flute such as Jean Jacques Naudot, and England when he associated with
Handel at the Royal Academy of Music.
Back to Dresden on 23rd July 1727, Quantz decided to “put his ideas in order” with the
intention of creating a new individual style of composition.
“Quantz’s travels from the final stage of his training, and mark the beginning of his
international reputation as a performer and composer…Within a year or two of his visits,
printed collections of his music began to appear in France, England and Holland”. Quantz,
J.J. Versuch einer Anweisung die Flöte transversiere zu spielen 1752, trans. as On playing
the flute by Edward R. Reilly, London: Faber and Faber, 1966.
His compositions and studies rewarded him, and in March 1728 he was promoted to a
member of the main Saxon kapelle at Dresden with a salary of 250 thalers.
Marcio Alan Cursino BA(Hons) in Music yr 1

23/01/2023
 During the period 1728 and 1733 Quantz had a great development in his compositions,
since he had a formed style and Dresden was in its most flourishing period of musical
activity.
“The third element of the Hofkapelle, the court chamber of ‘concert’ music, comprising
music for instrumental ensembles of various sizes” (including trios) “ and vocal music
ranging from solo cantatas to serenatas for large numbers of singers, was exclusively for
court society…The scale of its musical activity ensured the Hofkapelle a dominant position
in the musical life of Dresden in the 18th century, and it is not surprising that it tended to
eclipse other musical activities in the city” Reilly Edward R. and Andreas Giger. ‘Dresden,
music at court’, The new grove dictionary of music
online ed. L. Macy (accessed 30th October 2002), <http://www.grovemusic.com>
In 1740 Quantz was offered a salary of 2,000 thalers a year from the new king of Prussia
Frederick II The Great of the Berlin Court, whom had been his flute pupil since 1728. In
December 1741 Quantz moved to Berlin to dedicate and centralise the remainder of his
career on the kings practice of the flute and his private evening concert. He also received
additional payment for manufacturing flutes and composing of new works.
“Only a few compositions were printed during the Berlin period, most importantly the Sei
duetti a due flauti traversi, op.2 (1759). The Versuch einer Anweisung die Flöte
transversiere zu spielen (1752), on the other hand, was published within one year both in
German and In French translation. It has remained his most significant contribution to music
literature”. Reilly Edward R. and Andreas Giger. ‘Quantz, J.J., Life’, The new grove
dictionary of music online ed. L. Macy (accessed 30th October 2002),
<http://www.grovemusic.com>

As we can now see, there are many facts that influenced Quantz to compose trio sonata in
c K33 and the way in which he composed it, as well as his other trio sonatas. In researching
Quantz’s life I came across influences of knowledge (teachers, great musicians, composers,
travels, new styles etc), religion (the relation between the court and the Catholic church),
society (the fact the music at Dresden involved all people around including nobles, kings,
princes and their family), commerce (his greatest compositions started to appear printed, in
countries such as Germany, France, Holland and England) and politics (firstly, with the
relationships between the music and the royal court politics and secondly, with promotions
and raises in his salary as his compositions and techniques improved).
For all these reasons trio sonata in c K33, cannot be considered in isolation from the
context of the Dresden court period since most of his activities were based at the court.

Marcio Alan Cursino BA(Hons) in Music yr 1

23/01/2023
Bibliography

Hogwood, Christopher (1979) The Trio Sonata, London: British Broadcasting Corporation

Quantz, J.J. Versuch einer Anweisung die Flöte transversiere zu spielen 1752, trans. as On
playing the flute by Edward R. Reilly, London: Faber and Faber, 1966

Yorke-long, Alan (1954) Music at Court, four eighteenth century studies, London: The
Chiswick Press

Reilly Edward R. and Andreas Giger. ‘Quantz, J.J., Life Works’, The new grove dictionary
of music online ed. L. Macy (accessed 30th October 2002), <http://www.grovemusic.com>

Reilly Edward R. and Andreas Giger. ‘Dresden, music at court’, The new grove dictionary
of music online ed. L. Macy (accessed 30th October 2002), <http://www.grovemusic.com>

The World of Art Music. Online. Available from http://www.members.tripod.com [accessed

30th October 2002)

Discography

- Quantz, J.J. (Jun 1995) Quantz: Trios Sonatas (audio recording on compact disc). U.S.A.:
Thorofon.

- Quantz, J.J. (Sep 1997) Quantz: Flute Sonatas (audio recording on compact disc). U.S.A.:
Chandos.

-Quantz, J.J. (Nov 1997) J.J.Quantz: For Majesty’s Pleasure (audio recording on compact
disc). U.K.: Meridian.

Marcio Alan Cursino BA(Hons) in Music yr 1

23/01/2023