Here is something of a rarity, and an engaging one, too. Georg, or Jiri Antonin as he was christened, was the youngest brother of Frederick the Great's long-serving Konzertmeister, Frantisek Benda. There were plenty of other Bendas, too, though Georg was the most important composer among them, scoring notable successes with his melodramas. He spent most of his working life as Kapellmeister at Gotha, in Thuringia, where he wrote his first melodrama in 1774. The musical fare on this disc is much more modest and, by and large, generously endowed with pleasing melodies which are entirely free from the stylistic affectation remarked upon by Burney.
The keyboard pieces are galant in manner but without the extremes of temperament explored by his older contemporary, C. P. E. Bach. Timothy Roberts presents a strong case for exploring them in his affectionate and appropriately sensitive approach. The A minor Sonata is an impressive example of Benda's keyboard style and enters the world of Bach's Empfindsamerstil more closely than anything else here. The fortepiano used throughout the disc is a mellow-sounding instrument well suited to the predominantly modest requirements of Benda's music.
The songs and the cantata perhaps make a more enduring impression. There is plenty of character in Benda's melodies, some of which are poignantly affecting. One of the most striking of them is the little ode to Belise, Belise starb, und sprach im Scheiden. Here, and indeed everywhere in her part of the programme, Emma Kirkby captures the spirit of the pieces to perfection, producing a warm, clear-focused tone complemented by a reassuringly secure technique. The remaining songs are sung by Rufus Muller, who matches Kirkby in expression, clear tonal projection, and characterful singing. His Faulheit, itze will ich dir (''Sloth, to thee will I sing'') comes across vividly.
All in all, then, this is an enjoyable Liederabend and, if there is nothing to imprint itself indelibly on the mind, there is certainly nothing that one should not wish to hear oft-repeated. The recorded sound is pleasingly intimate and the booklet well documented with full texts in German and English. Recommended.'