Before a substantial collection of Vivaldi's autographs was found in Italy in 1926, the Dresden collection was considered the largest known Vivaldi collection, and it remains the largest outside Italy today.
Interpretation
In Vivaldi's time, performers were expected to embellish the melody line and fill out the bass part with chord arpeggiation, making each performance unique.
Composer Biography
Johann Georg Pisendel, an excellent violinist, traveled to Italy to meet leading specialists like Tomaso Albinoni and Antonio Vivaldi, developing a teacher-pupil relationship with Vivaldi.
Compositional Technique
Unlike Vivaldi's concertos, which typically have three movements (fast-slow-fast), these sonatas mainly consist of four movements in the older Italian 'sonata da chiesa' (church sonata) style.
Composition History
The 'Pisendel Sonatas' are so named because Vivaldi dedicated them to Johann Georg Pisendel, acknowledging him as a 'Maestro' (master) rather than just a student.
Historical Context
The Dresden Vivaldi collection, built by Johann Georg Pisendel, was forgotten in a cabinet behind the organ of the Catholic Court Chapel until its rediscovery in the mid-19th century.
Recording & Production
This recording is based on a 1982 facsimile edition of the 'Pisendel Sonatas' published by the Sächsische Landesbibliothek, which virtually reunited the original autograph scores.
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