For those not yet aware of this, a complete recording of the sonatas will come out on 19 January, making it the third release of ZWV 181 in the last year or so (counting the re-release of Zefiro's fine disk of course). The new disc is performed by the Ensemble Berlin Prag which includes members of the Berlin Philharmonic, playing on modern instruments. It seems they have consulted Reinhard Goebel on baroque performance practice. He has also written the sleeve notes.
A taste of the recording can already be had at the label (Supraphon) website: https://www.supraphonline.cz/a…elenka-triosonaty-zwv-181
What is immediately apparent is that we are going to be in for a treat of the highest virtuosic order. It will certainly be the fastest recording of all - 5 minutes faster than Holliger's second recording and a whopping 13 minutes quicker in total playing time compared to the 1704 disk released last year!
Interestingly the track run times of the fast movements are all the same as or slightly shorter than Holliger's and generally much shorter than the two best period instrument recordings (1704 and Zefiro). The slow movements seem to be taken extremely quick, something I cannot quite imagine right now, these being some of the most expressive works in all of Zelenka's output. So let's see if there is justification given for that. In general it will be particularly interesting to see how the new recording sizes up to the second Holliger disk (also on modern instruments).
