Various Composers - A Musical Offering (Le Caravansérail)

Information

• Anonymous - Thema Regium (From Musikalisches Opfer, BWV 1079)
• Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach - Sonata a Flauto Traverso, Violino e Basso, Wq. 143
• Johann Sebastian Bach - Musikalisches Opfer, BWV 1079: Ricercar a 3
• Johann Sebastian Bach - Sonata a Flauto Traverso e Cembalo obligato, BWV 1032
• Wilhelm Friedemann Bach - Trio a 2 Flauti e Cembalo, Fk 49: I. Allegro
• Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach - Trio a Cembalo Obligato e Violino, Wq. 72
• Johann Sebastian Bach - Musikalisches Opfer, BWV 1079: Sonata sopr'il soggetto Reale a traversa, violino e continuo
• Johann Sebastian Bach - Musikalisches Opfer, BWV 1079: Canon perpetuus super thema Regium

Le Caravansérail

    Sophie Gent, violin

    Frank Theuns, traverso

    Bertrand Cuiller, harpsichord

Date: 2026

Label: Ramée

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In 1747, Johann Sebastian Bach famously visited King Frederick II of Prussia in Potsdam alongside his eldest son, Wilhelm Friedemann, joining his second son, Carl Philipp Emanuel, who served as court accompanist. This historic gathering, which inspired Johann Sebastian's monumental Musical Offering following a royal thematic challenge, profoundly impacted the lives and careers of the family’s three most celebrated composers. Highlighting the intimate, familial nature of this brief reunion prior to the elder Bach’s death in 1750, this recording pairs sections of the Musical Offering with trio sonatas by both sons, illuminating the rich musical consequences of their encounter.

Founded in 2015 by harpsichordist Bertrand Cuiller, the ensemble Le Caravansérail serves as a dynamic space for musical experimentation across 17th- and 18th-century repertoires, as well as contemporary dialogues. Alternating between chamber music and opera, the ensemble performs extensively throughout France and Europe, notably touring Handel's Rinaldo in 2018. Their critically acclaimed discography includes the 2025 Diapason d'Or-winning Bach concertos album. Currently in residence at the Pontoise Festival through 2028, Le Caravansérail is also deeply committed to cultural education, partnering with the Château de Fontainebleau and receiving support from major French cultural institutions.