Violin Concertos, Sonatas, String Quartets, etc : Mezzena(Vn)Ayo(Vn)Quartetto Aira, L'arte Dell'arco, etc (9CD)

The music world of Giovanni Battista Viotti - 9CD

The importance of Giovanni Battista Viotti in the history of 19th-century music - and of the violin concerto in particular - has nowadays been acknowledged even though his works, with a few exceptions, are still far from being popular.
Viotti's artistic development is similar under many aspects to that of many other late 18th-century Italian composers of instrumental music, who gained recognition mostly outside of Italy. Indeed he decided to settle down in the French capital after his successful performing at Paris's Concert Spirituel on 17th March 1782.
There he quickly became a favourite with the aristocratic circles and the court.
In 1792, after the outbreak of the Revolution, Viotti moved to England, where he made a living as an impresario and as a solo performer. In 1798, wrongly suspected of Jacobine activity, he moved to Germany. Viotti had a dazzling career as soloist and was particularly admired for his brilliant technique and his capacity to "sing" the slow movements. Yet for a long time Viotti was one of the masters of instrumental music in Europe. His solo works, especially his violin concertos, laid the foundation of the French violin school.
Viotti has left us 29 violin concertos - written roughly between 1782 and 1808 - which, with their wide range of stylistic and expressive traits, undoubtedly represent the apex of his output. 9 of them are featured in our present collection.
As well as the concert works, Viotti write numerous chamber works which were very popular in his own day and were frequently reprinted. Outstanding among these are undoubtedly the string quartets, considered today among his most significant pieces, and then the sonatas for violin, string trios, concertante duets and music for the flute: works at times conceived for amateurs, but always rich in melodic invention that is refined and never hasty, fruit of high instrumental civilization viewed for decades with respect and admiration by the entire world of European music. ( Dynamic )

Disc 1
Violin concertos N.1-2-19
Concert N.19 in G major
Concert N. 1 in C major
Concert N. 2 in E major
Franco Mezzena, violin
Viotti Chamber Orchestra
Luciano Borin, conductor
Recorded in 1991

Disc 2
Violin concertos N.20-27-4
Concert N. 20 in D Major G92/W20
Concert N. 27 in C Major G142/W27
Concerto N. 4 in D Major G33/W4
Franco Mezzena, violin and conductor
SYMPHONIA PERUSINA
Recorded in 1998

Disc 3
Violin concertos N. 22-24-28
Concert N. 22 in A minor W22 /G97
Concert N. 24 in B minor W24 / G105
Concert N. 28 in A minor W28 /G143
Franco Mezzena, violin and conductor
SYMPHONIA PERUSINA
Recorded in 2002

Disc 4
Three String Quartets
Quartet N.1 in F major G112-W13
Quartet n.2 in B lat major G113-W14
Quartet N.3 in G major G114-W15
Quartetto AIRA
Fabrizio Cipriani, violin
Marino Lagomarsino, violin
Ernest braucher, viola
Antonio Fantinuoli, cello
Recorded in 1995

Disc 5
2 Trios for 2 Violins and Cello CW. 14-15
3 Serenades for 2 violins CW. 31-35
Trio II in E major CW. 14
Trio III in G major CW. 15
Serenata I in A major CW.31
Serenata II in D major CW.32
Serenata III in G major CW.33
L'Arte dell'Arco
Giovanni Guglielmo, violin
Federico Guglielmo, violin
Pietro Bosna, cello
Recorded in 1994

Disc 6
Chamber music for flute and piano
Three nocturnes for flute and piano
Six Serenades for piano with flute accompaniment Op.23
Mario Carbotta, flute
Carlo Balzaretti, piano
Recorded in 2007

Disc 7
Sonatas for violin and piano (Op.4)
Sonata n.1 in E major
Sonata n.2 in A major
Sonata n.3 in D major
Sonata n.4 in B flat major
Felix Ayo, violin
Corrado De Bernart, piano
Recorded in 1997

Disc 8
Sonatas for violin and piano Vol.2
Sonata n.5 in E flat major Op.4
Sonata n. 6 in B flat minor
Sonata n.1 Book II in A major
Sonata n.2 Book II in E flat major
Felix Ayo, violin
Corrado De Bernart, piano
Recorded in 1997

Disc 9
Duetti Concertanti - Serenate
Primo Duetto concertante in D major G67
Serenata n.4 for 2 violins in E flat major G148
Secondo Duetto concertante in D minor G68
Serenata n.6 for 2 violins in E major G150
Duo Deschka
Dina Scheidermann, Emil Kamilarov -violin
Recorded in 1997