Viotti's twelve sonatas for violin and bass, including those on this album, are structured in three movements with a recurring Allegro-Adagio-Allegro pattern, designed to showcase his extreme virtuosity.
Cultural Impact
Viotti's stylistic and formal experimentation was crucial for modernizing violin writing around the turn of the 19th century, influencing the French violin school and contributing to the instrument's evolution that later found its peak in Paganini.
Composer Biography
Viotti's career reached its peak when he entered the service of Queen Marie Antoinette in Paris.
Historical Context
Viotti's career was significantly impacted by the French Revolution, which forced him to leave France for England in 1789.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Viotti, like many Italian musicians of his era, emigrated to other European centers where artistic and concert activities were more encouraged than in Italy, which was focused on opera.
Composer Biography
Viotti's talent was noticed by a bishop during a religious service, leading to patronage from the Marquise of Voghera, which allowed him to study in Paris with the renowned violinist Gaetano Pugnani.
Composer Biography
Giovanni Battista Viotti, the composer, was born in Fontanetto Po, Italy, in 1755, and received his first musical training from his father, a blacksmith and amateur horn player.
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Identity
To Roman Totenberg
Appassionato
Ma, Sicong: Music for Violin and Piano, Vol. 2
Sonatas and Dances for Violin
Weber, Rossini, Hindemith & Schnittke: Works for Violin and Piano
