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IBS Classical

Strauss, Respighi, & Ponce: Violin Sonatas

Romantic Exotic Nostalgic Intimate
$17.99

Details

Composer
Manuel Ponce, Ottorino Respighi, Richard Strauss
Artist
Valerie Steenken, Ricardo Ali Alvarez
Format
CD
Label
IBS Classical
Released
May 01, 2026
Catalog #
IBS-182025
UPC
8436597701105

About

IBS Classical presents a distinguished new release featuring violinist Valerie Steenken and pianist Ricardo Alí Álvarez, performing three major violin sonatas by Richard Strauss, Ottorino Respighi, and Manuel M. Ponce. Conceived as a journey across German, Italian, and Mexican traditions, the programme bridges late-Romantic lyricism and early-twentieth-century modern expressivity. Strauss's youthful Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 18, combines soaring melodic invention with symphonic breadth, while Respighi's Sonata in B minor unfolds as a grand, rhetorically charged architecture culminating in a majestic Passacaglia. Ponce's Sonata breve, written in Paris in 1930, distills neoclassical elegance and Mexican lyricism into a concise yet refined statement of style. In this recording, Valerie Steenken (Concertmaster of Spanish National Orchestra) and Ricardo Alí Álvarez (Professor at Reina Sofía School) offer performances of exceptional unity and insight. Steenken's luminous tone, phrasing of great naturalness, and expressive precision find in Álvarez's pianism an ideal counterpart-sensitive, detailed, and dynamically sculpted. Their dialogue reveals a profound understanding of structure and sound, bringing each work's emotional core vividly to life. Through this project, IBS Classical reaffirms it's dedication to artistic excellence and to the renewal of essential chamber repertoire for violin and piano, presented here in a performance of rare coherence and expressive depth.

Tracklist 9 tracks

  1. 1 I. Moderato 10:21
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Moderato
    Duration
    10:21
    Composer
    Ottorino Respighi
    Performer
    Valerie Steenken, Ricardo Alí Álvarez
  2. 2 II. Andante espressivo 08:53
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Andante espressivo
    Duration
    08:53
    Composer
    Ottorino Respighi
    Performer
    Valerie Steenken, Ricardo Alí Álvarez
  3. 3 III. Passacaglia: Allegro moderato ma energico 07:57
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Passacaglia: Allegro moderato ma energico
    Duration
    07:57
    Composer
    Ottorino Respighi
    Performer
    Valerie Steenken, Ricardo Alí Álvarez
  4. 4 I. Allegretto mosso 05:09
    Track
    4
    Title
    I. Allegretto mosso
    Duration
    05:09
    Composer
    Manuel María Ponce
    Performer
    Valerie Steenken, Ricardo Alí Álvarez
  5. 5 II. Adagio 02:33
    Track
    5
    Title
    II. Adagio
    Duration
    02:33
    Composer
    Manuel María Ponce
    Performer
    Valerie Steenken, Ricardo Alí Álvarez
  6. 6 III. Allegro alla spagnuala 02:20
    Track
    6
    Title
    III. Allegro alla spagnuala
    Duration
    02:20
    Composer
    Manuel María Ponce
    Performer
    Valerie Steenken, Ricardo Alí Álvarez
  7. 7 I. Allegro ma non troppo 11:43
    Track
    7
    Title
    I. Allegro ma non troppo
    Duration
    11:43
    Composer
    Richard Strauss
    Performer
    Valerie Steenken, Ricardo Alí Álvarez
  8. 8 II. Improvisation: Andante cantabile 08:17
    Track
    8
    Title
    II. Improvisation: Andante cantabile
    Duration
    08:17
    Composer
    Richard Strauss
    Performer
    Valerie Steenken, Ricardo Alí Álvarez
  9. 9 III. Finale: Andante - Allegro 09:18
    Track
    9
    Title
    III. Finale: Andante - Allegro
    Duration
    09:18
    Composer
    Richard Strauss
    Performer
    Valerie Steenken, Ricardo Alí Álvarez