Friedrich Abel, born 1723 in Köthen, died 1787 in London, has always found his place in the history of music as a second-rate personality. He acts as a "complement" when it comes to rounding off the picture in Bach or Mozart biographies. He belongs to a group of very important transition musicians from baroque to classical music, to whom cpo has been devoting great attention for quite some time and without whose "pioneering work" many later classical great deeds would hardly have been possible Abel was a gamba virtuoso known throughout Europe and in London, where he had settled since 1759, he was probably the most important and influential musical personality together with Johann Christian Bach His "Bach Abel Concerts" organized with Bach were nothing less than the foundation of the bourgeois concert business that is still valid today. Abel was also so innovative as a composer In his instrumental works the storm and urge is expressed in its purest form The chamber orchestra "La Stagione" under the baton of Michael Schneider, playing on original instruments, has now recorded truly enchanting works by Abel for cpo The soloist here is Karl Kaiser, This is more than just gallant light music This is the listening adventure of a music that strives for new possibilities of expression.