Heinichen studied and practiced law before he devoted himself to his true calling: music. After winning initial success in Leipzig, he spent several years in Italy in order to master that country’s highly popular style of opera. In 1717, he was hired as the Kapellmeister of the imperial court of King Augustus in Dresden. He maintained that position for the remainder of his life.

Heinichen composed an enormous quantity of music, in all major forms except for keyboard solos. None of it was published during his lifetime, and much of it was lost during the Second World War. His reputation remained obscure until recent years, when recordings have finally begun to bring it the attention it deserves. The instrumental works show a greater influence of sunny, transparently-textured Italian models such as Vivaldi, than the more ornate works of his German contemporaries.

Program note by Don Anderson © 2022