Henri Marteau's former villa in Lichtenberg, Germany, known as 'Haus Marteau', has been an international hub for music master classes since 1982, continuing a tradition he established.
Compositional Technique
Marteau's 24 Caprices for violin and piano are subtitled 'd'exécution transcendante', directly referencing Franz Liszt's 'transcendental studies' for piano.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Marteau assigned programmatic titles to each of his Caprices, combining technical challenges with clear musical characters, and even incorporated contemporary dance forms like 'Cake-Walk' and 'American Toccata'.
Composer Biography
Henri Marteau, a celebrated violinist, was also a dedicated and empathetic violin teacher who moved between conservatories in Geneva, Berlin, Prague, Leipzig, and Dresden due to professional intrigues.
Recording & Production
This album is a complete recording of Marteau's 24 Caprices, performed by Professor Ingolf Turban and all twelve of his violin students from the Munich Musikhochschule, with Tomoko Nishikawa on piano.
Compositional Technique
Unlike Paganini's solo violin caprices, Marteau's Caprices include a piano accompaniment, which sometimes even reverses the traditional roles, making the violin the accompanying instrument.
Performer Biography
Ingolf Turban, the violinist and professor leading this project, became the leader of the Munich Philharmonic at age 21 under Sergiu Celibidache before embarking on a solo career with over 1000 concerts worldwide.
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Bull: Sæterjentens Søndag
Beach: Romance, Op. 23
Liszt: Violin & Piano Works, Vol. 2
Schubert: Violin Sonatas D. 384 & D. 385, D. 408 / Dvořák: Violin Sonatina in G Major, Op. 100, B. 120
