Janitsch: Sonatas & Ouverture Grosso

These works by 18th-century German composer Johann Gottlieb Janitsch have an involved history. They were part of a library belonging to Mendelssohn’s great aunt, harpsichordist Sara Levy, which was feared lost after being removed from Berlin’s Sing-Akademie during the Second World War—until it was rediscovered in Kiev in 1999. All would be for nothing were it not for the quality of the music and the delightful performances by Philadelphia’s Tempesta di Mare. With an enchanting blend of flutes and strings, this is music of grace and elegance that springs magnificently to life once more.