For her 24th recording for Cedille Records, violinist Rachel Barton Pine joins forces with period instrument specialists David Schrader, John Mark Rozendaal, and Brandon Acker to record Arcangelo Corelli's seminal set of 12 Violin Sonatas, Op. 5. "An exciting, boundary-defying performer" (Washington Post), Pine has been described as "a most accomplished Baroque violinist, fully the equal of the foremost specialists" (Gramophone). Known for her versatility across a vast repertoire - from Renaissance to heavy metal - she has studied period performance practice extensively and performs on the viola d'amore, renaissance violin, and medieval rebec. She has appeared as soloist with Apollo's Fire, the Seattle and Indianapolis Baroque Orchestras, Baroque Band, and Ars Antigua, and has performed concertos with Nicholas McGegan, Jeannette Sorrell, and Frans Bruggen. Published in 1700, Corelli's Twelve Violin Sonatas are foundational in the evolution of both the sonata and concerto forms. This recording explores these compositions through a historically informed approach, utilizing an array of period instruments, each chosen to enhance the expressive nuances of Corelli's music. Reflecting the era's experimental spirit, the ensemble embraces the interpretative freedom suggested by Corelli's original scores. Schrader alternates between organ and harpsichord, Rozendaal between violoncello and viola da gamba, and Acker performs on theorbo, archlute, and baroque guitar. Pine, inspired by the versatility of her colleagues, performs the famous "Follia" variations (Sonata No. 12) on an original-condition Gagliano viola d'amore, exploring this rarely used instrument in an authentic historical context. Corelli: Violin Sonatas, Op. 5, was produced and engineered by the Grammy-winning team of James Ginsburg and Bill Maylone. It was recorded on February 21, 23, and 25, 2024 and April 29-May 2, 2024, at Nichols Concert Hall in Evanston, IL.

Johann Ernst, the third-born son of Johanna Sophia Siefer and Johann Bernhard Bach, was a musician and organist at the Georgenkirche in Eisenach. He was taught first by his father and then, from January 1737 in Leipzig by his uncle and godfather Johann Sebastian Bach, when he moved there to attend the Thomasschule and later to study law. He was forced to abandon his studies there in 1741 upon being called back to Eisenach to help his ill father, and though Ernst missed the musical activity at Leipzig he was persuaded by Johann Sebastian to remain by his father's side. He eventually succeeded him in the organist post at Eisenach in 1749. J.E. Bach's 6 Sonatas for fortepiano & violin are among the few works the composer managed to have published during his lifetime: the first three in 1770 and the remainder in 1772. Although critics deemed them to be 'too modern', they were received so well by the public that a new edition was released in 1775. Their title does not bear the designation 'with violin accompaniment' typical of the time but rather 'sonatas for fortepiano and a violin': the two instruments are afforded equal importance. In the final three sonatas, the structures become more complex and reveal inspiration from early proponents of classicism like C.P.E. Bach. Although Johann Ernst was known as an organist and harpsichordist, the writing in the fast movements and the lyricism of the slow sections, as well as his inclusion of dynamic markings, suggest that these works were designed for the newly invented fortepiano. All six sonatas are divided into three movements, alternating fast-slow-fast in line with Italian symphonic style. Other information: - Recorded July 2023, Capranica, Italy - Bilingual booklet in English and Italian contains liner notes by the artists, as well as their�biographies - Susanna Pisana plays a violin by Bernardo Calcagni (c.1740); Maurizio Paciariello plays a fortepiano built by Ugo Casiglia, after a model by Anton Walter (1798) - Johann Ernst Bach (1722-1777) was a distinguished composer of the Bach musical dynasty, though less recognized than his famous relatives. As the youngest son of Johann Sebastian Bach's half-brother, he inherited a legacy of musical genius. In his early life, Bach studied at the Lateinschule in Eisenach from 1732 to 1735. On 16 January 1737 he entered the Thomasschule in Leipzig, where he then became a pupil of his uncle Johann Sebastian Bach. Being a student of J.S Bach, he assisted his uncle in copying his music. Later he became Hofkapellmeister in Eisenach. - Johann Ernst's compositions, spanning vocal works, chamber music, and keyboard pieces, shows his innovative approach, blending the Baroque style of his family with emerging Classical elements. - This new recording presents 6 sonatas for violin and fortepiano. The writing of the fast movements and the cantabile of the slow ones, as well as the presence of dynamic indications, suggest that these works are aimed at the new piano, not the harpsichord. - Played by Maurizio Paciariello and Susanna Pisana.

The Queen Elisabeth Competition 2024 gives us the opportunity of diving back into the performances of 4 prize-winning laureates of the 2009 and 2012 sessions devoted to the violin. In this exclusive box set we shall hear Ray Chen (First Prize and Canvas-Klaraprijs 2009), Lorenzo Gatto (Second Prize and Prix Musiq3 2009), Vineta Sareika (laureate 2009) and Andrey Baranov (First Prize 2012). Ray Chen starts off this box set with the concerto of Tchaikovsky with which he made such an impression in 2009, and also winning the audience's Canvas-Klaraprijs. An indelible moment of the Queen Elisabeth Competition; Ray Chen had won over the public, taking with him the Belgian National Orchestra conducted by Gilbert Varga at the height of it's form. He had previously offered in the final a magnificent Sonata of Franck, full of maturity, and this can be found on disc for the first time. Next comes the Belgian Lorenzo Gatto, revealed to the international audience in this same competition. In the final he had presented a masterly Concerto of Paganini, yet also a very great Sonata No. 3 by George Enescu. His programme is here completed by two extracts of his performances in the semi-final at the Brussels Conservatory: the Sonata for violin solo Op. 27/6 by Eugene Ysa�e, and, as an encore, the Havanaise Op. 83 of Saint-Saens. Vineta Sareika also left her mark on the 2009 competition. She who is today Konzertmeister of the Berlin Philharmonic had offered the highly majestic Concerto of Elgar, a monument of the repertory. Yet the Queen Elisabeth Competition is also the occasion to hear Mozart's concertos, and here we find Vineta Sareika in the Concerto No. 5 KV 219 of which she gave a splendid rendition in the semi-final, accompanied by the Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie conducted by Michael Hofstetter. Finally, this box set concludes with Andrey Baranov, First Prize in the 2012 Competition. Imperial in the Concerto No. 1 by Shostakovich, he shows that he is also a musician full of refinement and sensitivity in Mozart's Concerto No. 3 KV 216 and the two pieces of Tchaikovsky in the semi-final in Flagey - the Meditation (Souvenir d'un lieu cher) and the Valse-Scherzo - complete the portrait of this musician who is also a magnificent chamber player. Four personalities, four sensitivities, four superb violinists to rediscover without delay in some of the great concertos in the repertory and in recordings, for the most part newly released.

The 4CD box set of the 2024 Queen Elisabeth Violin Competition will be available as from Saturday 8 June 2024. The laureates of this year will be heard in their performances of the Mozart Concertos with the Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie conducted by Vahan Mardirossian, as well as the major concertos from the repertoire from the finals with the Belgian National Orchestra under the baton of Antony Hermus. Of course, their chamber music performances from the semi-finals will not be overlooked. The programme of the discs will be available as from 2 June 2024.

The German violinist, violist and composer Friedrich Hermann (1828-1907) spent the six decades of his adult life teaching at the Leipzig Conservatoire and, although his works include a symphony, a string quartet and numerous other chamber pieces for strings, by far the largest part of his output is pedagogical in nature. But he pumped his teaching pieces full of imagination, as the studies here demonstrate. Even though the twenty Miniatures published in 1881 are intended for student violinists, many of them are tiny tone-poems intended both to engage the attention of their players and challenge their techniques - and their mix of poetry and humour will also reward adult listeners.

This CD offers a beautiful live performance of the Concerto for violin and orchestra op. 64 from Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy with the Italian violinist Christian Joseph Saccon and the prestigious Orchestra of Padua and Veneto conducted by Maffeo Scarpis. Saccon trained at the great Venetian school of Luigi Ferro, then continued his studies by attending masterclasses with the most important European masters: Tibor Varga, Corrado Romano, Franco Gulli, Uto Ughi and Giuliano Carmignola. He plays a Marino Capicchioni violin from 1942 that belonged to Maestro Salvatore Accardo. It was the famous violinist Ferdinand David who commissioned the Concerto for violin and orchestra op. 64 from Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. The first performance took place at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig on 13 March 1845 with David as soloist. The performance was conducted by the Danish composer Niels Gade as Mendelssohn was in poor health at the time. The concerto, performed again in October of that year, with David as soloist under the baton of Mendelssohn himself, was a resounding success. Since then, the concerto has become a staple in concert programmes. In June 1846, the concerto was performed at the Philharmonic Society in London. Mendelssohn personally selected the Genoese violinist Camillo Sivori, a pupil of Paganini, as soloist. On 3 October 1847, it was performed by a young protege of Mendelssohn, the young Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim, who would go on to become a favourite collaborator of Brahms. The concerto is an elegant and skilfully crafted composition, where brilliance and buoyancy conceal the work's constructive genius. The Orchestra of Padua and Veneto conducted by Maffeo Scarpis interprets also the Symphony n.4 "Italiana" op.90 by Mendelssohn with fresh vigor in a brilliant live performance. It is surely one of the most celebrated compositions by Mendelssohn. The CD is completed by a precious bonus track with the pieces played by Saccon as an encore of the live concert: Capricci n.11 and n.24 by Niccolo Paganini, in which Saccon show all his virtuoso skills.

Bottesini is of course familiar to many musicians and music lovers, particularly double bass players, since the composer-performer enjoyed an undisputed position as 'the Paganini of the double bass' throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. This recording is a collection of five important pieces with a virtuosic and concerto-like compositional style, where the violin and double bass often take the lead roles in dense, surprising dialogues. It gives fans of 19th-century music an opportunity to experience the technical and creative richness of a composer who was extraordinarily artistically courageous for his time and gives due credit to musicians who for various reasons have historically been undervalued by the prevailing musical hierarchy. Bottesini's creative boldness is evident in the way he dared to put forward the double bass as a virtuosic solo instrument, on a par with it's noble cousins, the violin, viola and cello. Many of his pieces feature solo parts that showcase dialogues between the extreme registers of the string instruments, from the 'demonic' violin with it's high notes at the limits of perception, to the abyss of the bottom notes of the double bass. No one before Bottesini had discovered the untapped expressive potential of the latter instrument, since it had always been considered essentially a reinforcement for the cello part, one octave down. Instead, he wanted to make the double bass 'soar'. The Andante for strings introduces the double bass as a deep soul often in unison with the orchestral strings. The piece is imbued with an aching intimacy and refined with a rocking, undulating rhythmic motion. His Fantasia on Bellini's 'La Sonnambula' introduces the always cantabile double bass as a voice from the outset, and it is easy to imagine how astounded the audience must have been to hear the melodious sound of this 'back-row' instrument poignantly reimagining Bellini's lyric opera. In the Gran duo concertante for violin, double bass & orchestra Bottesini brings together lyrical sensitivity and expressive power. Here, the violin conveys the greatest possible tensions, frequently leading then giving way to a double bass that performs with cello-like poetry. The String Quintet in F, reimagined as an orchestral piece by Massimo Belli with the backbone of a great symphony immersed in a romantic setting full of energy and drama. The Piccola preghiera (as Bottesini intended) reveals a sensibility quite similar to the Andante that begins this album. The style here is even more sober, with strings layering over each other in an all-encompassing world of sound, rich in harmonic progressions and peaceful resolutions. Other information: - Recorded February 2022, Trieste, Italy - Bilingual booklet in English and Italian contains liner notes by Marco Maria Tosolini and profiles of the ensemble and conductor - Giovanni Bottesini (1821-1889) is one of the most influential figures in the history of the double bass and Italian opera. Born in Crema, Italy, Bottesini demonstrated prodigious talent from a young age, mastering the double bass by his teens. His virtuosic abilities on the instrument propelled him to international fame, earning him the title "Paganini of the Double Bass." - Bottesini's contributions to the double bass repertoire are significant, composing numerous solo pieces, concertos, and orchestral works that pushed the technical and expressive boundaries of the instrument. His compositions showcase a deep understanding of the double bass's capabilities, blending melodic lyricism with dazzling technical displays. However, Bottesini's influence extended beyond the realm of the double bass. He was also a prolific conductor and composer of operatic music, writing several operas that enjoyed success in theaters across Europe. - This new recording presents concertante works for violin, double bass and strings, as well as a string orchestra version of the String Quintet in F major, music of great melodic charm and vibrant virtuosity. - Played by Francesco de Angelis, Francesco Siragusa (double bass) and the Nuova Orchestra Ferruccio Busoni, conducted by Massimo Belli, who recorded already several successful albums for Brilliant Classics, with works by Viotti, Cherubini, Tartini, Wolf Ferrari, Ghedini and others.

Pietro Giannotti, who in the title page of Op. 1 (entirely written in Italian) is described as native of Lucca, was born in that independent Tuscan city, in an unspecified year between the end of the seventeenth century and the beginning of the eighteenth. We do not have any information about his education or his musical pursuits before his activities in France began, in 1728, when he moved to Paris. From the subsequent year to 1758 we know that he served as a double-bass player at the Academie Royale de Musique. A much-appreciated performance of his as a violinist is documented at the "Concert spirituel" of 28 March 1749; on this occasion he also played some pieces of his own. He remained in Paris until his death, on 19 June 1765. In Paris he published about twenty works, all of instrumental chamber music. In all likelihood, Giannotti also carried out his activities within private circles, in the house of an influential French nobleman, as is demonstrated by his first publication, to which we must now turn our attention: Op. 1 is dedicated to Jean-Charles de Crussol (1675-1739), seventh Duke of Uzes and French peer, scion of an ancient aristocratic family, who was not only a patron but also an "amateur" who practised music for his own enjoyment. Pierluigi Mencattini, accompanied by the ensemble Labirinto Armonico (already protagonists of the edition of the sonatas by Giovanni Antonio Piani, tc 671690) in this double CD performs the full version of the Op. I collection.

Albert Dietrich - a composer and friend of the Schumanns and Brahms - has largely been forgotten since his death in 1908. However, the Symphony in D minor heard here was one of the most performed symphonies of it's day. Albanian violinist Klaidi Sahatci is the soloist in the Violin Concerto in D minor. Christoph Konig conducts the acclaimed ensemble Solistes Europeens, Luxembourg.

Stellar Moldovan-Israeli violinist Janna Gandelman presents a programme of original violin pieces by Catalan composers alongside transcriptions by luminaries such as Fritz Kreisler and Joseph Szigeti. She is accompanied by the Spanish pianist Laia Martin.

Research, experimentation, discovery and rediscovery of new forms and ways of expression are the basis of a musician's work and, in the realisation of this project, they represent the cornerstones of an artistic partnership intended to give value to an important part of the saxophone repertoire, namely that related to transcriptions with piano accompaniment. Though the saxophone is a relatively recent instrument, it became a leading protagonist on the musical scene of the 20th century. While it was not immediately given consideration by the great composers who were contemporary to the instrument's birth and initial diffusion, it does possess the versatility and timbral and expressive characteristics to allow it to draw on repertoire intended for other instruments. In doing so, it gives these works a new look and an innovative as well as valid interpretation. This album brings together three works that - considering the varied stylistic characteristics and expressive intentions of the three composers - represent a clear example of how the saxophone can faithfully return the founding idea of each piece to the listener, radically modifying it without altering it's nature. The Fantasie Op.79 by Gabriel Faur� (1898), originally for flute and piano, was written in response to a commission for an examination piece: 'it must be short, 5 or 6 minutes at the most [.] and include the means needed to test the examinees on matters of phrasing, expression, control of tone and virtuosity'. A short time after Adolphe Sax patented the saxophone, Edvard Grieg wrote his First Violin Sonata (1865). The author himself described it as 'still a little naive but rich in melodic ideas'. In three movements and characterised by an almost spring-like atmosphere, it is adorned with references to Norwegian folk music which lend a rather grave and turbulent tone to some sections of the work. More 'recent' (by then the saxophone was heading towards the popularity it deserved) is Sergei Prokofiev's Sonata in D Op.94, originally written for flute and piano in 1943. It immediately drew the attention of the great violinist David Oistrakh, who proposed a violin version of the work to the composer which later became known as Op.94bis. A fundamental work of both the flute and violin literatures, here it is presented in it's adaptation for soprano saxophone and piano, and the work continues to embody inventive freshness and lively elegance of writing.

The solo violin concerto spread rapidly throughout Europe from it's cradle in Venice where Vivaldi established the genre's formal aesthetic. Giuseppe Tartini, however, in nearby Padua, remained fully independent of Vivaldi's model and established a school of pupils who reflected his own virtuosity and lyricism. The works of the three Italian and one German pupils in this programme contain noble and expressive slow movements in concertos that had absorbed the galant style and the influence of the Lombardy symphonists such as Sammartini. Three are heard in world premiere recordings.

Marco Enrico Bossi was a renowned Italian composer and organ virtuoso admired by Verdi and Puccini. The two violin sonatas heard on this programme reveal a composer whose chamber music stands equal to the most renowned works produced in the late 19th century.

This recording features a work with a strange coincidence in it's compositional process and an astonishing dual authorship. Remarkably, Silvius Leopold Weiss's Lute Suite SW47 (which he named Suonata) also comes with a violin part that can be played over the top of it, composed by none other than Johann Sebastian Bach. A recent comparison of sources revealed that the harpsichord part in Bach's Suite for Violin & Harpsichord BWV1025, long considered to be of doubtful attribution, perfectly matches Weiss's suite. The violin part, meanwhile, was indeed composed entirely by Bach and is an additional melody independent of Weiss's musical material. It feels almost like a 'free improvisation' above the suite and recalls a similar process carried out by Charles Gounod in 1859: his Ave Maria fits over the first Prelude from Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier BWV846. The sole exception is the Fantasia movement in Bach's piece, which is not derived from Weiss's suite, meaning both the violin and harpsichord parts in it are unique to Bach. This recording presents Weiss's suite on it's own and with the addition of Bach's violin part, both versions arranged by guitarist Alberto La Rocca for his instrument in place of the lute or harpsichord. (The all-Bach Fantasia is not included in the version without violin.) Weiss's Suite (Suonata) is a high-quality work composed for a 13-course Baroque lute. It is rarely, if ever, performed by either lute or guitar players, yet it contains all the best features of the great German lutenist's oeuvre: a refined and elegant compositional style and a varied range of expression. Bach's 'added melody', composed with his usual superhuman ability, shines a new light on the original suite, as if dressing it up in extraordinarily elegant attire. The violin part comments on the original lute texture without suffocating it, almost like a free improvisation above it. It plays with the various elements of Weiss's music, extrapolating ideas for themes, imitating them or simply wandering freely. Bach's part is also highly imaginative and varied in it's expression, frequently adding complex rhythmic dovetailing and significant virtuosity while always staying true to the emotions of Weiss's movements. Bach and Weiss were friends and met on several occasions. Johann Friedrich Reichardt even describes them challenging each other to an improvisation competition: 'Anyone who understands the challenge of playing harmonic modulations and decent counterpoint on the lute will be surprised and amazed to hear an eyewitness say that Weiss, the great lutenist, competed with J.S. Bach, the great harpsichordist and organist, in playing fantasies and fugues.' While the origins of his 'transcription with accompaniment' of Weiss's Suite SW47 are still a mystery, the fact remains that we can now enjoy a unique and unusual masterpiece, which these two brilliant composers had a hand in writing.

Franz Clement was a composer and violin virtuoso who premiered Beethoven's Violin Concerto. Clement's solo violin works heard here display a lexicon of technical demands, suave lyricism, wit and imaginative writing. The award-winning violinist Haoli Lin performs this programme of world premiere recordings.