Canadian ensemble Notturna offers a charming instrumental version of the opera L'Amant jaloux (the jealous lover) by André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry (1741-1813). This anonymous arrangement for flute, oboe, violin, viola, and bass was found in the Biblioteca Estense di Modena. Though undated, it was likely transcribed in 1778, the year Grétry composed the opera. Founded in 2006 and directed by oboist Christopher Palameta, Notturna is a chamber collective whose spirited and sensitive playing (Early Music America) draws on the transparency and expressiveness of early wind instruments to paint fresh pictures of an unexplored historical repertoire.

Almost unknown until a few years ago, Berlin composer Johann Gottlieb Janitsch has become more familiar since Notturna began recording a series of his Sonata da quadro on the ATMA label. Janitsch was very active as a composer and contraviolonist at the court of Prussia since 1736, and left over 40 quadro sonatas which display the composer’s complete mastery of counterpoint.

This ensemble draws on the transparency and expressiveness of early wind instruments to paint fresh pictures of unexplored repertoire. The musicians have a unique rapport with the music of Janitsch and their aim is to bring his neglected masterworks to light.

ohann Gottlieb Janitsch (1708-1763), was born in Silesia (then under Austria, but Prussia from 1742 and now part of Poland) and followed a normal career path for a musician in Mitteleuropa, culminating as contraviolonist in the Royal Orchestra of the Court of Prussia from 1736 until his death in 1763. Janitsch also composed ballet music for the Royal Court Opera), rehearsed the opera chorus, and composed music for the balls held at the opera house during carnival-time. Janitsch was also called on to participate in the intimate concerts that took place in the king’s private apartments at Sanssouci, alongside a number of instrumentalist-composers including C.Ph.E. Bach and Johann Joachim Quantz.

Known as an ardent defender of unexplored repertoire for the oboe, Christopher Palameta sheds light on the neglected – but not forgotten – “phantom” literature for oboe by Marin Marais. Six suites are presented in this world- premiere recording, Palameta’s 4t h solo CD and his first appearance on Audax Records. Intimately familiar with the French style, Palameta was awarded research grants in 2003 and 2006 by the Canadian government to re- establish these works into the oboist’s repertoire; this recording is the fruit of that research.