Graun(以下都此稱J.G. Graun)自幼就到德勒斯登(Dresden)接受音樂訓練，拜師當時最傑出的德國小提琴家Pisendel。之後，Graun又到義大利和小提琴鬼才塔提尼(Tartini)學琴；當他回到德國時，Graun也名符其實地成為德國最優秀的小提琴家之一。J.S. 巴哈想必是很肯定他的能力，因為他將長子Wilhelm Friedrich Bach的小提琴教育，託附給Graun。
1732年，他加入了Frederick在Rheinsberg的樂團，然後Frederick登基後又跟隨他到柏林的宮廷。Graun在皇家普魯士樂團擔任首席，一直到到1771過逝為止。他將在Dresden和老師Pisendel學琴時用的那套搬到了柏林，使得這些音樂家訓練有素，一度是歐洲素質最高的樂團。他也是一位名師，下一代的幾位重要音樂家便是他的學生，其中最有名氣的，應當是捷克籍的Franz Benda，同是Graun過逝之後繼任的樂團首席。
如果Graun的弟弟Carl Heinrich Graun是樂團指揮，必須負責歌劇的創作，那Graun的職責主要是為Frederick的室內音樂會創作器樂曲。他的器樂曲包括五十幾首交響曲，六十幾首協奏曲，還有五十幾首三重奏鳴曲。這張錄音裡的曲子，應當是為這些場合而寫的音樂。Graun的器樂曲是galant式的早期古典風格，漸漸捨棄掉巴洛克常見的對位，有明確易哼的主旋律，和聲也被簡化，可說是拉近了音樂和一般老百姓的距離，而不再只是王宮貴族特有的享受。
這張CD上錄了四首Sinfonia，是古典交響曲的前身，從義大利序曲演變而來的「快-慢-快」三樂章形式。編制上，主要是給兩支小提琴，一支中提琴，還有數字低音。許多Sinfonia外加了兩支horn，說穿了只是在快樂章的時候要壯大聲勢用的，因為中間慢樂章都退居幕後，由小提琴完全接手。這種安排，和韋瓦第所寫的許多協奏曲的手法是雷同的。
我在之前的文章中應該多次提過，古典樂派是我最沒有興趣的音樂時期；Galant風，應當是我的底限。而同是Frederick大帝底下的音樂家，還有這時期最重要的代表之一C.P.E. Bach。Graun和C.P.E.，在音樂的點子上的互相交流肯定是有的，因為C大調的Sinfonia，有C.P.E.的影子：不規則的樂句，突然的停頓，還有和聲上的奇妙轉折，但大膽的程度是不及C.P.E.的。其他的Sinfonia，則較為典型。
CD上還有一首給長笛，小提琴，和數字低音的三重奏鳴曲以及給長笛的協奏曲，則真的是巴洛克末期的產物。三重奏鳴曲，是「慢-快-快」三樂章形式，倒像是Tartini小提琴奏鳴曲的形式，但有Quantz的galant曲子的感覺。這首協奏曲也是根據韋瓦第所奠定的Ritornello form，就連第二樂章的慢樂章，也不斷讓我想到Vivaldi，同是此CD中最美的慢樂章。
Ensemble barock a.c.c.u.u.t.是個來自德國萊比錫的古樂團，後面那麼囉嗦和奇怪的縮寫，是創團成員名字的第一個字母組成的。這張專輯的錄音地點很有趣，在Frederick大帝Rheinsberg宮廷的劇院，也是當初Graun的音樂會表演的地方，似乎是之前就精心挑選的。Ensemble barock a.c.c.u.u.t.採一人一聲部的小編制，輕盈但有動力。重要的小提琴，各方面表現中肯，有德式的精準犀利，聲音也偏冷酷。a.c.c.u.u.t.推音樂不會過於激烈，讓許多些曲子呈現出悠閒的氣氛。不過，像C.P.E. Bach那首Sinfonia要表現出情緒的大起大落，a.c.c.u.u.t.的演奏張力也是很足夠的。
時間上，這張CD不到六十分鐘。和今天市面上超過七十分鐘的錄音，這好像顯得有點不夠大方，特別是Graun的Sinfonia都只有十來分鐘的時候，總覺得他們可以很輕易地再將一首錄進去。
最後，從這張CD對Graun的評價是，他是巴洛克到古典過渡時期重要的作曲家，但缺少屬於自己的個人風格。他的一部份作品，延續前輩們的曲風，而另一方面的早期古典風格，點子不如C.P.E. Bach那麼大膽，音樂更沒有古典時期的作曲家成熟。他只能算是大時代音樂潮流的眾多推手之一。這是張不錯的錄音，收錄的Graun的音樂，不是最特別的，但起碼也是悅耳的。如要聽他較有趣的音樂，應該去找找他為自己拿手樂器–小提琴–所寫的協奏曲(還有一些給古中提琴的)。
Johann Gottlieb Graun was "one of those" composers of Frederick the Great's court, along with the likes of the more famous one like Quantz and C.P.E. Bach, who helped establish the early Classical style. He and his younger brother Carl, who was trained as a vocalist, were to occupy important posts in Frederick's group of musicians. Carl became the capellmeister, while Johann was the long time concertmaster.
Graun studied the violin at an early age, one of his teachers being Pisendel at Dresden. Later, before he really embarked on a professional career, he even went to refine his skills with Tartini in Italy. When he returned to Germany, he was arguably one of the most formidable violinists of his day. J.S. Bach had high enough regard for him that he entrusted Graun his eldest son Wihelm Friedrich's violin education.
In 1732, Graun entered the services of Frederick the Great, then still the crown prince, based in Rheinsberg. Since he was so good, when Frederick became king of Prussia, Graun (and his brother) followed him to Berlin, where Graun would train the string players methodically (probably based on what he learned from his teacher Pisendel) that at one point, the court musicians at Berlin were of the finest in Europe. Graun occupied the concertmaster position for 40 years, until his death in 1771. Of his many students include his successor Franz Benda.
Graun has been more or less eclipsed by his brother Carl, as the opera was deemed the superior music form. However, as concertmaster, Graun was to compose the music for Frederick the Great's chamber concerts. These include at least 50 sinfonias, 60 concertos, and 50 trio sonatas. This recording contains a selection of these, including 4 sinfonias, a trio sonata, and a concerto. In general, the 4 sinfonias are more forward-looking in the early classical style, while the trio sonata and concerto are extensions of the late Baroque style. The sinfonias are scored for 2 violins, viola, bass continuo, and some have 2 obliggato horns, whose sole purpose is to increase the music volume. Thus, the horns play a watered down violin part and are completely absent in the slow movements. While many of the sinfonias are typical of what you expect from this period, one shows hints of C.P.E. Bach's style, arguably one of the most interesting composers of this time. C.P.E. and Graun were both employers of Frederick, so it would not surprise me that there was exchange in musical ideas.
The trio sonata and concerto are scored for the flute but performed with recorder here. The trio sonata is reminiscent of Tartini's slow-fast-fast structure, and has a Quantzian galant feel. The concerto, not surprisingly are modeled after Vivaldi's ritornello form. The middle slow movement is also Vivaldian in idiom and constitutes to one of the most beautiful slow tracks here.
This CD was recorded in Rheinsberg Schlosstheater, probably the exact place where the music was first performed.... an interesting bit of historical significance here. The musicians are Ensemble barock a.c.c.u.u.t., a German period instrument group, whose letters "a.c.c.u.u.t." are the first letters of the core members' first names, in either case you can argue that this idea was either creative or not at all. The sound is sort of what I expected from a "German" style, if we are to stereotype playing styles: precision and cleanness. with a maybe colder and sharper tone. They play the music one person per part, so the performance is more on the lighter end. They don't drive the music as hard, as a lot of these early classical pieces had a more relaxed atmosphere to them. However, in reference to the C.P.E.-like sinfonia, they can also tighten things up and send you on a small roller-coaster ride.
The disc isn't quite as generous in terms of time, as the total time is less than 60 minutes. Given that a piece is maybe only 10 minutes, they could have easily fit another sinfonia on here. However, Graun's music here isn't the most interesting, and I'm not sure if another average sinfonia would be of real value. Overall, he lacks a distinct personal style. His works written in the late Baroque style quite don't stand out, and his pieces in the early Classical style don't have the boldness as C.P.E or exhibit the maturity of the later greats like Haydn and Mozart.
This is a good recording, with fine playing, and a good entry to Graun's instrumental works in general. However, they aren't necessarily Graun's best music out here. There are some virtuosic violin and viola da gamba concertos he wrote that are more worth checking out.
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