Zweistimmigen Sonaten und Suiten: Sonata in D Major for Violin, Viola da Gamba, and Continuo

Dietrich Becker’s Sonata in D Major, whose variations on a ground bass resemble that of Pachelbel’s famous Canon in D, provides an affirming final gesture and bookends the upcoming album Lovers and Mourners: Variations and Sonatas from 17th-century Germany, in a beautifully melancholic fashion. Here, the viola da gamba is no mere accompanist but an equal partner to the violin. The two instruments trade ideas and ultimately come together in joyful concord.