Leclair, J.-M.: Violin Sonatas, Op. 1, Nos. 1-4

Featuring

Adrian Butterfield
Alison McGillivray
Laurence Cummings
Jean-Marie Leclair

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Composer's Artistic Vision

Leclair's music, inspired by his time in Italy, aimed to fuse French and Italian styles, a concept known as 'les goûts réunis'.

Composition History

Leclair's first book of violin sonatas was published under the patronage of Joseph Bonnier, one of the wealthiest men in Paris, and was received with great admiration.

Instruments

The continuo for these sonatas requires a viola da gamba alongside a harpsichord, as the gamba extends to a low A, a third lower than the cello, offering more variety.

Critical Reception

Leclair's first two books of sonatas have been almost completely neglected by violinists, despite containing a marvelous synthesis of Italian lyricism and French elegance.

Performer Biography

Adrian Butterfield, the baroque violinist on this recording, is also the Musical Director of the Tilford Bach Festival and Associate Director of the London Handel Festival.

Composer Biography

Jean-Marie Leclair, the composer, was born in Lyon, the son of a lacemaker, and also studied dancing and the violin.

Compositional Technique

Leclair, the composer, was irritated by violinists playing his music too fast, clarifying that 'Allegro' meant a 'gay movement' rather than a 'very fast' one.