Karl Amadeus Hartmann, the composer, was born in Munich to a well-known painter and had three brothers who were also painters.
Performer Biography
Alina Ibragimova, the violinist on this recording, performs on a 1738 Pietro Guarneri of Venice violin, provided by Georg von Opel.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Hartmann founded the Musica Viva concert series in Munich after World War II, reintroducing banned 20th-century repertoire and providing a platform for young composers.
Historical Context
Hartmann was an 'internal exile' during the Third Reich, remaining in Germany but refusing to support the Nazi regime culturally.
Notable Performances
The solo violin works by Hartmann on this album were largely unperformed until the 1980s, with Rosaleen Moldenhauer giving the first known performances in the US.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in Henry Wood Hall, London, with the Concerto funebre recorded in November 2006 and the Suites and Sonatas in January 2007.
Composition History
Hartmann's Concerto funebre was partly inspired by the Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia in 1938 and dedicated to his four-year-old son, Richard.
