Augustus the Strong’s convenient conversion to Roman Catholicism in 1697 enabled the Elector of Saxony to become the King of Poland, and the artistic culture of the Dresden court became increasingly defined by Italianate tastes. Accordingly, a distinguished host of illustrious musicians were employed in the Saxon capital. Johann David Heinichen (1683-1729) had trained and worked in Leipzig before gaining broader experience during six years in Italy. It was during the Prince-Elector of Saxony’s visit to Venice that he was sufficiently impressed by Heinichen’s Arcadian-style cantatas to persuade his father to recruit the composer as the new Dresden kapellmeister.

The enterprising Batzdorf Hofkapelle perform four of these cantatas. Marie Friederike Schöder’s gentle singing, a pair of pastoral recorders and whispering pizzicato strings depict the vulnerable plaints of an afflicted lover in Lascia di tormentarmi. Terry Wey’s delicate singing in La bella fiamma (Venice, 1711) is accompanied by elaborate theorbo obbligato parts played deftly by Stephan Rath. Both singers join forces for a dialogue between the lovers Clori and Tirsi in Se mai, Tirsi, mio bene – a cantata that is longer, more poetically varied and full of finely crafted music. The diligently planned programme is enriched by a Vivaldian oboe concerto in G minor played by soloist Xenia Löffler with assured fluidity, and a concise violin concerto in D performed by concertmaster Daniel Deuter with conversational dexterity.

Following Heinichen’s death his duties for the Dresden royal chapel were carried out by the Bohemian-born Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679-1745), who had been employed at the court as a violone player since about 1710. His hopes to succeed Heinichen officially led to a petition to the new elector Friedrich August II in November 1733, only a few weeks after he had composed a collection of eight Italian arias. Dedicated to the new elector, these were probably designed to demonstrate that Zelenka was capable of writing operatic-style arias despite having very little experience setting the Italian language to music. In the event, the post was given instead to Hasse, whereas the long-serving Zelenka was promoted merely to the rank of Hofkomponist.

The clever fusion of contrapuntal four-part strings and vocal virtuosity in these lengthy arias reveals his customarily quirky imagination. The plangent qualities of Hana Blažíková are beguiling in the lion’s share of the arias: the melancholic melodiousness of ‘Povera fede sei pur mal spesa’ shows Zelenka’s style to be close to the Venetians of 20 years previously, the arching phrases of ‘Se ha per guida la costanza’ were modelled directly on an old opera aria by the Viennese Kapellmeister Fux, and there is livelier florid passagework aplenty in ‘Senti ti voglio ancor’. Markéta Cukrová’s unforced alto voice shines in two rapturous arias, such as the softly lyrical ‘Non só se più vi rivedrò’. The final aria ‘Son da più venti’ is sung suavely by bass Tomáš Šelc. The six instrumentalists of Ensemble Tourbillon, directed by gambist Petr Wagner, support the singers with finesse. These eight arias are probably not the most accomplished music Zelenka wrote but they provide another glimpse into the rich musical culture of Dresden’s golden age.