Tasmin Little, OBE, plays a violin made by Guadagnini in 1757 and has received honorary degrees from several universities.
Composer Biography
Ottorino Respighi, born in Bologna, built a powerful career as one of Italy's most celebrated composers and teachers, becoming director of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome.
Compositional Technique
Ottorino Respighi, who studied with Rimsky-Korsakov, demands such a range of color and technical ability from his players that it can feel as if he is trying to pack an entire orchestra into just two instruments.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Both Richard Strauss and Ottorino Respighi, though primarily known for orchestral music and opera, embraced emotion, drama, harmonic exploration, and technical brilliance in their violin sonatas.
Composer Biography
While working on his Violin Sonata in 1887, Richard Strauss met Pauline de Ahna, a highly gifted soprano whom he would marry seven years later.
Historical Context
Ottorino Respighi's music became associated with state approval under Mussolini's regime, despite Respighi himself showing little interest in politics and appearing anti-fascist.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Richard Strauss had a strong affinity for the violin, with the instrument's tone closeness to a singer's voice being uppermost in his mind when composing for it.
You might also enjoy...
Grieg, A.: Piano Music, Vol. 7
Gabriel Fauré: Complete Works for Violin and Piano
Schubert
Three Sonatas For Violin And Piano (Trois Sonates Pour Violon Et Piano)
