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German oboist and violinist
Sebastian Bodinus (1700-1759) might today be almost completely forgotten if not for his Musicalischen Divertissiments — a six-part collection of ensemble sonatas that was published by the Leopold family in Ausburg and issued between 1726 and 1730.
Part IV of the Musicalischen Divertissiments (c.1729) comprises twelve trio sonatas divided into two sets: six sonatas for two oboes and basso continuo, and six sonatas for flute, violin and basso continuo. The former set would appear to have been the first ever published for two oboes and continuo (although the composer does propose two violins as an alternative). Given that Bodinus began his career as an oboist, these sonatas are expertly written for the instrument and set in keys that can be considered ‘oboe-friendly’. They follow the sonata model established in Parts I and III of the Musicalischen Divertissiments in that they are fundamentally sonate da chiesa while incorporating dance movements foreign to the Corellian prototype, notably the menuet, bourrée and siciliana. They also feature imitative movements entitled ‘fuga’.
Taken together, these works represent a significant yet long-overlooked contribution to the early 18th-century German repertoire for double reeds, just as they testify to Bodinus’ inventive engagement with contemporary sonata forms.
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