Bettina Hoffmann
Catalogue of Solo and Chamber Music for Viola da Gamba
Hesse, Ernst Christian
Duo für Viola di Gamba e Basso | del Sigr Hesse (2 movements in D major: Paÿsan en Rondeau and Menuet qui se joue alternativement / Menuet 2)
manuscript
D-ROu Mus. saec. XVII 14/21
Mitteldeutscher Verlag Halle; Peters, Güntersberg
Despite the title Duo, this is actually music for solo viola da gamba with an accompanying bass.
Even if the source provides only the author's surname, it is highly probable that this is Ernst Christian and not, for example, his son Ludwig Christian, since we have no certain information about the latter's composing activity.
This is the only piece by Hesse for viola da gamba solo that has been preserved, but Johann Adam Hiller testifies to the existence of many sonatas and suites by him for viol with and without bass, which must have been lost: «Von seiner Composition sind absonderlich viele Sonaten und Suiten für die Viola da Gamba, theils allein, theils mit noch einem besondern Baß-Instrumente, merkwürdig.» (Johann Adam Hiller, Wöchentliche Nachrichten und Anmerkungen, die Musik betreffend, Leipzig, Verlag der Zeitungs-Expedition, 2. 1767/68, p. 130)
A/II ID 200044597
