Costantino Mastroprimiano - Keyboard Works - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Even in the 18th Century Life in University Towns Offered Many Temptations, Just Made to Distract Students from Their Studies, Though Certainly Music Ranked Among the More Harmless Diversions. Evidently, Teems of Students Were Drawn, Particularly to Sacred Services in Leipzig But Also, After 1701 to Georg Philipp Telemann's Collegium Musicum, Which He Founded in 1701. This CD, Performed By L'arpa Festante and Rien Voskuilen, Gives An Admirable Impression of the High Level Musical Quality Accessible in the University Town of Leipzig at the Beginning of the 18th Century, When Telemann, Heinichen, and Graupner Were Making Music There and Presumably Studying Law on the Side.

Beethoven's genius may have had a dominant presence in early 19th-century Vienna, but the 18-year-old Schubert composed a Sonata in E major, D.157 in 1815 that already encapsulated elements of his own genius in the Lied-like perfection of it's second movement. His first true piano masterpiece followed in the Sonata in A major, D.664, with an intimacy, lyricism and perfection of form that set him apart from his contemporaries. Composed five years later, the Sonata in D major, D.850 is marked by extrovert, virtuosic writing, memorable themes and an almost improvisatory flair.

The present recording consists of seven previously unrecorded wonderful violin sonatas from the early 18th century. This is the second volume of a FHR series in which samples of the musical riches, that lie in the Dresden Schrank II collection, are brought to life through new recordings. A large portion of the Schrank II manuscripts belonged to the composer/violinist Johann Georg PISENDEL (1687-1755), who, whilst travelling throughout Europe, amassed a huge quantity of music, mostly manuscripts. Some he bought from music shops or receive directly from composers. Most, however, he copied out himself. This collection is one of the largest and most diverse repositories of latebaroque music in the world. In this volume, there are three varied sonatas by Martin Bitti which resemble Corelli. A sonata by Henricus Albicastro who is of the South German school of composition. A delightful sonata by Carlo Fiorelli. Finally, two anonymous sonatas which are both complex and intensely expressive, and possibly written by the composers G.G. Laurenti and A. Montanari. The two brilliant musicians on this recording were chosen specifically for their incredible skills, musicianship and specialist baroque talent. Violinist Kinga Ujszászi and harpsichordist Tom Foster, both members of The English Concert baroque orchestra, give exciting and stylish performances in a wonderful crystal clear recorded sound.