by reading the score and realizing the numbered bass phenomenally, whether be on lute or on the theorbo." Born in Breslau (Poland) on October 12, 1686, Weiss was musically trained by his father and in 1706 he was appointed lutenist at the Dusseldorf court. In 1708 Weiss followed Prince Alexandre Sobieski in his exile in Rome, where the Prince established his small court at Palazzo Zuccari. In Rome Weiss surely met Alessandro and Domenico Scarlatti , the organist Bernardo Pasquini and also Handel, who was just reaping his first suc-cesses. It seems unlikely that the extraordinary talent of Weiss could go UlU10ti-ced to Cardinal Ottoboni, whose palace thanks to Arcangelo Corelli was the center of the local musical circles. Weiss travelled a lot and performed for the aristocracy in cities like London, Prague, Venice and Dresden. He finally settled down in Dresden, where he served as chamber musician for Augustus the Strong, Prince of Saxony and King of Poland, who had founded one of the major Opera houses and one of the best musical Chapels of the Empire in his villa on the Elbe. The musicians of the Dresden court belong to the histOlY of music: in addition to Weiss, the flutist Quantz, the violinists Veracini and Pisendel, etc. Weiss rarely left Dresden but his trip to Leipzig in August 1739 is particularly noteworthy because of his visit to J .S. Bach, with whom he was on friendly terms thanks to his acquaintance with Wihlem Friedemann Bach, son of 1.S. and organist at St Sophia's Church in Dresden. This might explain Bach's interest in the lute and his wonderful suites for this instrument even though he wasn ' t a lutenist himself.

The Suite for lute by Weiss The Suite in D minor and the Suonata in A major by Weiss featured on this CD are drawn from the tablatures of the Dresden manuscript which refers to the composer 's most mature works.