Sonata No. 4 for Flute and Basso Continuo in G Major, BeRI 204: III. Larghetto

Hello, and welcome to Classical Sunday!

When I finally and somewhat reluctantly signed up for Apple Music about two years ago, I browsed around to find playlists I’d enjoy. One of these is Classical A.M. It’s been quite a while since I listened to this set, which I find is good background music for a quiet morning. (I say I joined somewhat reluctantly because, as I’ve mentioned before, it concerns me that streaming services pay so little to music creators. That’s one of the things that is so messed up about the music industry, but that could be the topic of an essay, never mind a music blog post. I digress…)

Anyway, starting the playlist on “shuffle” this morning as the sun peeked over the roof of our neighbour’s house, I heard a piece I didn’t recall listening to before: a larghetto, the third movement from Sonata No. 4 for Flute and Basso continuo in G Major by the Swedish Baroque composer Johan Helmich Roman (1694-1758). (Vocabulary.com defines larghetto as “a composition or passage played in a slow tempo slightly faster than largo but slower than adagio.”)

Roman was a prominent figure in the Swedish Baroque period, occupying leadership positions in the royal chapel and amassing a large catalogue of work throughout his career. He became known as the “father of Swedish music” and the “Swedish Handel.” He retired from his royal duties in 1745 due to hearing loss.

The Apple Music playlist version of today’s selection piece is played by the duo Flauguissimo, formed in 2008 by flautist Yu-Wei Hu and guitarist Johan Lofving. It comes from the album Roman: To the Northern Star (2023) by the duo, joined by Magdalena Loth-Hill, Emily Atkinson and Henrik Persson.

The piece is a perfect example of the rhythmic and melodic qualities of Baroque music. I listened to other movements from the Sonata and didn’t enjoy them as much as this one; its slower tempo appeals to me, which is pretty consistent with my classical music preferences.

Now you know a little about why this is my Song of the Day for Today. Thanks for joining me here.

The whole album is posted to YouTube as a playlist on the Flaugissimo topic channel, and here is the Larghetto:

With warm wishes,

Steve