Sonate G-Dur, Op. 6, No. 1 for flute and basso continuo

Johann Gottlieb Nicolai (1744–1801) was a German composer, organist, and flutist who transitioned from the courts of Germany to the musical life of the Netherlands.
Born in Großneundorf near Gräfenthal in the region of Thuringia, Germany, a region with a deep musical tradition that had fostered masters like J.S. Bach.
By his mid-twenties, he emerged as a versatile musician capable of serving as a court concertmaster. Around 1771, Nicolai was appointed to the Court Chapel in Münster and was quickly promoted to the prestigious position of Concert Master.
In 1775, he left Münster to settle in Zwolle, Holland. He took on dual roles as Organist and Concert Master at St. Michael's Church, which housed one of the most magnificent organs of the era.
Nicolai is best known today for a monumental volume of 24 harpsichord sonatas, published after his move to Holland. Following the model of J.S. Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, this volume included a sonata for every major and minor key.
His works represent the transition from late Baroque basso continuo styles to the clearer, more melodic structures of the Classical period.