Boccherini's Duets Op.3 are not didactic pieces for students; they require the same skill level as his string trios, quartets, and quintets.
Composition History
The Duets Op.46 are arrangements of Boccherini's earlier trios and quintets, with some being thorough re-compositions rather than simple reductions.
Critical Reception
Boccherini's violin duets are not among his most famous works, and the Duets Op.46 had never been recorded prior to this album.
Performer Biography
Igor Ruhadze, the other violinist, began his musical journey at age 12, performing Henri Vieuxtemps' Violin Concerto No.5 as a soloist with the Odessa Symphony Orchestra.
Performer Biography
Daria Gorban, one of the violinists on this album, plays a violin crafted by David Tecchler in Rome in 1705, on loan from the National Musical Instruments Fund.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Boccherini's Duets Op.3 demonstrate the 18th-century motto 'Varietas delectat' (variety pleases) by varying the roles of the two violin parts.
Composer Biography
Luigi Boccherini, the composer, wrote his first set of violin duets (Op.3) before his 20th birthday, in 1761.
