CCMusic.com

We know next to nothing about Jean-Daniel Braun, beyond snippets of memoir and the introduction to his published works. He worked for the Duc d'Épernon; he was known as a virtuoso performer on the transverse flute in Paris during the first half of the 18th century; he composed music for transverse flute, bassoon, recorder, musettes and hurdy-gurdy; his Opus 1 collection of sonatas was published in 1728; and he died before 1740. This obscurity has led to a lack of interest in the music itself, which deserves modern attention and revival. Step forward Jed Wentz, who has spent his career turning up corners of Baroque repertoire from across Europe, and making acclaimed recordings with his Dutch-based Musica ad Rhenum ensemble. A comparison of Braun's sonatas with those of his renowned Parisian contemporary Blavet reveals a similarity in general approach, with French and Italian elements mixed together in sonatas sometimes structurally reminiscent of suites. The final movement of Braun's Op. 7 No. 2 (in E Minor) so closely resembles the final movement of Blavet's Op. 2 No. 2 (in D Minor) as to suggest that one must have served as a model for the other.