This album is the fifth volume in a complete recording of Giovanni Battista Viotti's 29 violin concertos, a project started four years ago by Dynamic.
Composer Biography
By 1794, Giovanni Battista Viotti had become an émigré, forced to leave France due to the radicalization of the Revolution and restart his career in England.
Compositional Technique
Viotti's later concertos, composed in London, show a shift away from virtuoso solo writing towards broader formal structures and more elaborate orchestral treatment, adapting to English tastes.
Composer Biography
Giovanni Battista Viotti, an Italian violinist, arrived in Paris in 1782 and captivated audiences with his exceptional technique.
Instruments
Franco Mezzena performs on a superb Stradivarius violin from 1721 and also on violins made by luthier Giovanni Osvaldo Fiori of Treviso.
Historical Context
The 12 years between Viotti's Concerto No. 4 (1782) and Concerto No. 27 (1794) were crucial for Europe, marked by the French Revolution and the collapse of the Ancien Régime.
Performer Biography
Franco Mezzena, the violinist and conductor on this recording, studied with Salvatore Accardo and has toured extensively with 'I Musici' and 'I Virtuosi di Roma'.
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