Enlightened Virtuoso

Featuring

Zbigniew Pilch
Johan Helmich Roman
Federigo Fiorillo
Ivan Khandoshkin
Niccolò Paganini
Friedrich Wilhelm Rust

George Frideric Handel

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Performer Biography

Zbigniew Pilch, one of Poland's most outstanding Baroque virtuosos, plays Baroque and modern violins, viola, and viola d'amore, and performs as a soloist, chamber player, and conductor.

Interpretation

This recording uses a historical instrument with gut strings and a bow that is a copy of one from the turn of the 18th century, aiming for historically informed performance.

Composer's Artistic Vision

The album's program emphasizes works in minor keys, full of drama and solemnity, challenging the popular perception of the Enlightenment era as solely cheerful and light.

Recording & Production

The album was recorded in the Red Hall of the Witold Lutosławski National Forum of Music on September 21-22, 2015.

Historical Context

The 18th century saw artists, who had largely been servants, begin to emancipate themselves, moving towards independence from traditional patrons like the church and aristocracy.

Album & Artwork

The album title, "Enlightened Virtuoso," refers to both the Classical period and the adjective 'enlightened' in the sense of 'initiated,' as understood by Mozart's Masonic contemporaries.