The reputation of Johann Joseph Fux suffers from the fact that he was the author of one of the most influential counterpoint treatises in music history, Gradus ad Parnassum. I imagine few today have read it (though Haydn found it useful, and he was no slouch in a fugue), yet Fux remains tainted by the ‘theorist’ stain, which seems a little unfair; what music of his I have heard suggests that there is a goodly amount of personality lurking in there.

Of that music there are over 600 works, yet many remain unrecorded, and it is good to see this release showcasing some of the material he provided for the Imperial Court Chapel in Vienna (where he was Kapellmeister from 1715 until his death in 1741). The ones here reflect the Habsburgs’ Marian obsession in six antiphons – four settings of Ave regina caelorum and two of Alma redemptoris mater – plus the motet Pia mater fons amoris, all for soprano and small ensemble. Interspersed with these are six string trio sonatas probably designed for use in church.

The music is well constructed, as one might expect; the vocal pieces are sectional in layout, but there is variety in the chant-based K205 (yes, these are Köchel numbers) and the aria-and-recitative style of Pia mater. Character can range from the grace of K185 to the pensiveness of K206, and from the solemnity of K207 to the good cheer of K187, while the sonatas include a sturdy passacaglia in K377, a sinfonia in K346 and a sweet pastorale for recorders in K397.

In the end, however, it has to be admitted that this is not always the most compelling music. For all the effort that Accentus Austria put into it their typically Austrian gutsy string-playing, the sonatas can seem rather static; and despite the pure but strong soprano of Hana Blažíková the vocal pieces are not lyrically memorable. One for the curious ear, perhaps, but don’t expect it to change your life.