Italian Violin Sonatas

Editor's Choice - Gramophone September 2003

"Fabio Biondi - a musical maverick if ever there was one - presents an enticing collection of violin sonatas with a suitably imaginative line-up of continuo instruments in support. All the composers here - Veracini, Locatelli, Mascitti, Geminiani and Tartini - seem to have been influenced and inspired by the towering example of the great Arcangelo Corelli, a truly extraordinary violinist. If you've ever been to a Biondi concert you'll know quite how many sparks fly. If not, do try this thrilling disc." --Gramophone

MP3 320 · 155 MB

Concerto veneziano: Vivaldi, Locatelli, Tartini

"All this is well caught by the rich and detailed recording, as is Carmignola . . . there's a lot of character, together with a sweet and focused sound. He's very careful with vibrato and articulation, and his rubato bends the pulse without breaking it . . . The Locatelli . . . gives Carmignola an opportunity for fireworks . . . he's technically on top of everything, and the trumpet-like sound of his first entry in the Tartini is a real feat of tonal control . . ." --BBC Music Magazine

"This disc is really something special . . . This disc stands out for imaginative repertoire selection and outstanding interpretation . . . Do yourself a favor and buy this magnificently played, perfectly recorded disc. It's an instant classic." --ClassicsToday.com


". . . Carmignola is a terrific violinist whose technique and intonation are as near flawless as one has any right to expect. His tone, neither too fat nor too spare, is ravishing, drawn out in cantilenas llike an exquisitely spun silver thread that never shows the slightest sign of insecurity . . . So moving, so touching . . . this movement alone should be heard not only by every aspiring violinist, but also by every singer, who will learn much about control and phrasing from the playing . . . the playing is dazzling . . . lovely violin-playing will (and certainly should) attract widespread interest in a disc that is in many ways a wondrous achievement . . ." --Fanfare

MP3 320 · 148 MB

Locatelli: Concerti Grossi Op. 1 Nos. 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, & 11

There is absolutely nothing here to criticize. The Freiburg Baroque Orchestra is one of the premier ensembles of its type, and it performs this music on top form. Locatelli's Op. 1 is nicely varied as to content, particularly in this selection. Only one concerto (No. 7) follows Vivaldi's three-movement "Venetian" form; the remainder are modeled on Corelli's concerti grossi and have four or five movements apiece. Locatelli's "sarabandas" are particularly lovely, and they are enhanced by the characterfully varied treatment of the continuo throughout these performances.

 Concerto No. 8 is a "pastoral", as in Corelli's famous Christmas Concerto, while four of the six works featured here employ minor keys, which only heightens the music's expressive intensity. In short, you won't find a better-chosen, more appealing selection of high Baroque concertos anywhere, and the engineering is typically splendid. For fans of the period, this is self-recommending. --David Hurwitz, classicstoday.com

MP3 320 · 130 MB

Concertos pour Violon

Better known in Europe than in North America, Jean-Jacques Kantorow is a noted violinist who has made a transition to conducting, administration, and teaching.

Concertos for Violin features some of the most virtuosic violin concertos in the repertory by Felix Mendelssohn, Giuseppe Tartini, Jean-Marie Leclair and Pietro Antonio Locatelli

MP3 320 · 137 MB