Sonata a7 - 2OB/BSN/PN or 2TPT/BSN/PN

Sonata a7
for two cornetti (trumpets or oboes), bassoon, and piano reduction
by Kaspar Förster (1617-1673) - German composer and singer, born in Danzig

This Sonata a7 is thoroughly Italianate in style, being very much like the tromba works written at St. Petronio in Bologna. Much of the time the winds are pitted against the strings in alternation, piling up snatches of imitation involving short motives, but maintaining on the whole a homophonic texture. Nevertheless, there are several stretches of genuine counterpoint involving up to six real parts. The piece as a whole reminds one strongly of Lagrenzi's "La Buscha", sharing its instrumentation and its alternation of homophonic and contrapuntal writing, though not equalling its high level of technique and inspiration.

This is the piano reduction of Robert Paul Block. The original for two oboes (or trumpets), bassoon, two violins, viola, cello, and continuo may be found here.