This album arose from Sebastian Bohren's affection for the violin, for the playing of Ida Haendel (a renowned violinist), and for late 19th and early 20th-century fiddlers.
Historical Context
Fritz Kreisler (an Austrian violinist and composer) was involved in a famous scandal in 1935 when it was revealed that his 'Classical Manuscripts' were his own compositions, not rediscoveries of earlier works.
Critical Reception
Despite the controversy surrounding Fritz Kreisler's 'Classical Manuscripts' being his own inventions, violinists continued to play most of them due to their musical value and idiomatic writing.
Composition History
The album's concept was inspired by Sebastian Bohren seeing a YouTube clip of Ida Haendel performing Corelli's La folia variations, specifically a virtuoso cadenza by Hubert Léonard (a Belgian violinist and composer).
Instruments
Sebastian Bohren used two different violins for this recording: a 1761 Giovanni Battista Guadagnini (an Italian luthier) for most pieces and a 1710 Stradivarius (a famous Italian violin maker) for Respighi's Pastorale.
Recording & Production
Sebastian Bohren re-recorded the first three pieces on the album (Kreisler, Vitali, and Paradis) with a different ensemble, Stringendo Zürich, and his old teacher Jens Lohmann, because he was not satisfied with the initial recordings.
