Quartetto Vanvitelli - Sonate a Violino Solo E Basso - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

The Neapolitan school of instrumental music and it's links with the rest of Europe in the eighteenth century - this is at the heart of Quartetto Vanvitelli's activities. After concentrating on the work of the composer Michele Mascitti of Abruzzo, an outstanding figure representing Italian music in France, the quartet now turns to a composer-violinist from Sardinia, Giuseppe (Joseph) Agus (1722-1798), who achieved success in London and Paris in the second half of the 18th century. Like Mascitti, he studied in Naples, then lived in London from the late 1740s, coming into direct contact with the most important protagonists of 18th-century English music George Frederic Handel, Thomas Arne, Johann Christian Bach. Working as a violinist in the theatres and concert halls of the English capital, Agus published various instrumental collections and participated in collective works with music by Handel, Arne and Hasse. Even though his artistry was appreciated in London, Agus moved to Paris in the 1770s, where he published a few compositions and taught at the Conservatoire until his death in 1798.

Of the many important anniversaries occurring in 2018, it is worth remembering the 350th death anniversary of the violin virtuoso Francesco Maria Veracini. What better occasion to rediscover Enrico Gatti's first reference recording for the tag Arcana? The fierce Florentine violinist played throughout Europe leaving indelible marks in towns such as Dresden, London, Frankfurt and Prague. His violin sonatas show a lively imagination and personal verve combined with a brilliant instrumental technique. This presents a selection from the two volumes of violin sonatas 2 chamber sonatas from Op. 1 (1721), a collection of 12, divided into 6 chamber sonatas containing Overtures or Preludes followed by suites of dances and 6 church sonatas in five movements, where the violin part notably more daring than in Corelli's austere style, and 2 from the Academic Sonatas op. 2 (1744), distinguished not only for the originality and excellence of the music, but also for the presence of dynamic signs and unusual performing indications, a frequent use of the long bowing typical of the Italian virtuosi, an abundant variety of bow strokes and idiomatic inventions of great effect. Album Tracks 1. Sonata Op. 1 No. 1 in G minor 2. Sonata Op. 2 No. 8 in E minor 3. Sonata Op. 1 No. 6 in E minor 4. Sonata Op. 2 No. 12 in D minor

Antonio Veracini (1659 -1733) was born in Florence during the Renaissance, and developed a career as a composer under the Medici patronage. He worked in close contact with the most eminent figures of the court and managed the best music school of the city. This features the ten violin sonatas Opus 2 composed in 1694, which were officially conceived Inchto provide practice works for beginnersInch but actually require of performers excellent technical skills, and are equally noteworthy for their wealth of inspiration. As often occurred at that time, the sonatas are dedicated to members of the Tuscan elite of the day, which makes them even more evocative. The collection is not only varied in it's contents but also substantially well-structured. The sonatas consist of a minimum of three to a maximum of five movements of different character, anticipating, also on account of the way in which the music material is treated, characteristic traits of what would be Corelli's successful Opus 5 (1700). The edition of Antonio Veracini's sonatas consists of two scores, one for the violin and one for the Inchharpsichord or the violoneInch. Album Tracks 1. Sonate da Camera, Op. 2~Sonata I. Grave 2. Sonate da Camera, Op. 2~Sonata I. Vivace 3. Sonate da Camera, Op. 2~Sonata I. Largo Affettuoso 4. Sonate da Camera, Op. 2~Sonata I. Vivace 5. Sonate da Camera, Op. 2~Sonata II. Largo 6. Sonate da Camera, Op. 2~Sonata II. Presto (InchAlla FranceseInch nella parte del violino) 7. Sonate da Camera, Op. 2~Sonata II. Largo 8. Sonate da Camera, Op. 2~Sonata II. Vivace 9. Sonate da Camera, Op. 2~Sonata III. Cantabile 10. Sonate da Camera, Op. 2~Sonata III. Vivace 11. Sonate da Camera, Op. 2~Sonata III. Largo 12. Sonate da Camera, Op. 2~Sonata III. Largo (InchAriaInch nella parte del basso) 13. Sonate da Camera, Op. 2~Sonata III. Vivace 14. Sonate da Camera, Op. 2~