Modern scholarship attributes a solo Partita for flute, two sonatas for flute and harpsichord, and a pair of sonatas for flute and continuo to Bach himself, while it seems likely that the G minor Sonata, BWV1020, a most engaging work, is probably by his son, CPE Bach. The E flat major Sonata, with its winning central Siciliano, is possibly a composition by Johann Christoph Altnikol (Bach’s future son-in-law). The Partita in C minor appears to be associated with the Musical Offering in its neat little Fugue, so it probably is also authentic JSB. This all seems rather complicated, but the factor which unites all this music is its consistently high quality.

Bach’s own invention is ever diverting and the Solo Partita in A minor shows once again that he is unsurpassed at writing music for an unaccompanied instrument, especially when it is played with such felicity as it is by Hansgeorg Schmeiser. His flute dominates the rest of the programme too, partly because the Nimbus recording has a fair degree of resonance; yet his colleagues remain within a believable overall balance. Ingomar Rainer’s harpsichord is well in the picture without losing its intimacy of feeling and Othmar Müller’s cello is effectively integrated into the instrumental texture. Of course there is plenty of competition in the present catalogue, notably the complete set by William Hazelzet, Jacques Ogg and Jaap ter Linden on period instruments (Glossa, 2/03), and I have a high opinion of the fine moderninstrument performances of just the Six Sonatas by William Bennett, George Malcolm and Michael Evans (ASV Resonance), not to mention the recent disc from Emmanuel Pahud with Trevor Pinnock and friends (EMI, 3/09). But this new Nimbus collection, played with vitality and elegance, and realistically recorded in a warm acoustic, will give every satisfaction too.