Viotti: Violin Concertos (Complete)

Featuring

Luciano Borin
Franco Mezzena
Viotti Chamber Orchestra
Symphonia Perusina
Milan Classical Chamber Orchestra
Giovanni Battista Viotti

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Composer Biography

Giovanni Battista Viotti, a late 18th-century Italian composer, gained recognition primarily outside of Italy due to the exclusive interest in opera within his home country.

Cultural Impact

Viotti significantly influenced Niccolò Paganini, whose famous 'Rondò della Campanella' and Concerto No. 4 finale show clear connections to Viotti's works, including the use of the triangle.

Instruments

Franco Mezzena performs on a 1695 Stradivari violin, formerly owned by Kayser, and a 1996 copy of the same instrument made by Giovanni Osvaldo Fiori.

Performer Biography

Franco Mezzena, the violinist on this album, studied with Salvatore Accardo and has performed with renowned artists and ensembles like I Musici and I Virtuosi di Roma.

Compositional Technique

Viotti's 29 violin concertos, written between 1781 and 1808, showcase a wide range of stylistic and expressive solutions, including a notable preference for minor tonalities in later works.

Cultural Impact

Viotti's violin concertos laid the foundation for the French violin school and influenced composers like Pierre Rode, Rodolphe Kreutzer, and Pierre Baillot.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Viotti's later works, composed in England, show a shift towards larger orchestras, more pathos in slow movements, and less virtuosic violin writing, possibly due to his waning confidence as a soloist.