The violins used by Daniel Cuiller and Anne Chevallerau on this recording are a Matthys Hofmans (early 18th century), a Bernard Salin (2004) after Hofmans, and an Éric Lourme after Amati.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded at the Chapelle de l'Immaculée in Nantes, France, from November 29 to December 2, 2011.
Critical Reception
Giovanni Battista Fontana was nicknamed 'dal Violino' during his lifetime and described by musicologist Willi Apel as 'the most important master of violin music at the beginning of the Baroque era'.
Performer Biography
Stradivaria - Ensemble Baroque de Nantes, founded in 1987 and directed by violinist Daniel Cuiller, is known for its authentic interpretations of 17th and 18th-century repertoire using period instruments.
Composition History
Fontana's only known work, "Sonate a 1, 2, 3, per il Violino o Cornetto, Fagotto, Chitarrone, Violincino o simile altro Istromento," was printed posthumously in Venice in 1641.
Composer Biography
Giovanni Battista Fontana, an Italian violinist and composer, died in Padua during the plague epidemic of 1630.
Interpretation
The performers on this album chose to use two keyboard instruments, harpsichord and organ, for the continuo to achieve a rich and varied counterpoint, prioritizing the melodic instrument's freedom.
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