Despite a dazzling career as a soloist admired for his brilliant technique, Viotti's popularity declined, and he was practically forgotten by the end of his life.
Composer Biography
Viotti's career included working for Queen Marie Antoinette and later becoming a theatrical impresario, founding the Théâtre de Monsieur with the patronage of the Count of Provence.
Cultural Impact
Viotti's violin concertos were foundational for the French violin school and served as stylistic models for composers like Pierre Rode, Rodolphe Kreutzer, and Pierre Baillot.
Compositional Technique
Viotti's 29 violin concertos, written between 1782 and 1808, showcase a wide range of stylistic and expressive traits, with a notable predilection for minor tonalities, especially after 1788.
Composer Biography
Giovanni Battista Viotti, a prominent Italian violinist and composer, settled in Paris after a successful performance at the Concert Spirituel in 1782, becoming a favorite of aristocratic circles and the court.
Recording & Production
This album is part of the first complete recording of Giovanni Battista Viotti's violin concertos.
Composer Biography
Due to the French Revolution and his ties to the aristocracy, Viotti moved to England in 1792, but was later forced to leave for Germany in 1798 under suspicion of Jacobin activity.
