Corelli: Violin Sonatas, Op. 5

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Corelli's Op. 5 Violin Sonatas have always been admired by chamber music fans; there are a couple of good recordings of them already available. But this new one by Baroque specialist and virtuoso Andrew Manze and harpsichordist Richard Egarr presents the sonatas in such a bright, exciting, and improvisatory light that they seem brand new. During the composer's lifetime, these sonatas were widely played and tremendously influential; there's a good chance that it was assumed that virtuosi took what was written on the page as a starting point for embellishing and sheer showing off. Manze is breathtaking--fast, articulate, conscious of the genuinely good tunes some of these sonatas contain--and his variances from the written music are thrilling. Egarr knows how to embellish too, and he matches Manze every step of the way. If you're wondering if 131 minutes of only two instruments can keep your interest, don't worry. This will. --Robert Levine

Tracks:

Sonata I In D Major
Sonata I In D Major
Sonata I In D Major
Sonata I In D Major
Sonata I In D Major
Sonata II In B-Flat Major
Sonata II In B-Flat Major
Sonata II In B-Flat Major
Sonata II In B-Flat Major
Sonata II In B-Flat Major
Sonata III In C Major
Sonata III In C Major
Sonata III In C Major
Sonata III In C Major
Sonata III In C Major
Sonata IV In F Major
Sonata IV In F Major
Sonata IV In F Major
Sonata IV In F Major
Sonata IV In F Major
Sonata V In G Minor
Sonata V In G Minor
Sonata V In G Minor
Sonata V In G Minor
Sonata V In G Minor
Sonata VI In A Major
Sonata VI In A Major
Sonata VI In A Major
Sonata VI In A Major
Sonata VI In A Major

Tracks:

Sonata VII In D Minor
Sonata VII In D Minor
Sonata VII In D Minor
Sonata VII In D Minor
Sonata VIII In E Minor
Sonata VIII In E Minor
Sonata VIII In E Minor
Sonata VIII In E Minor
Sonata IX In A Major
Sonata IX In A Major
Sonata IX In A Major
Sonata IX In A Major
Sonata X In F Major
Sonata X In F Major
Sonata X In F Major
Sonata X In F Major
Sonata X In F Major
Sonata XI In E Major
Sonata XI In E Major
Sonata XI In E Major
Sonata XI In E Major
Sonata XI In E Major
Sonata XII In D Minor, 'Follia'

Amazon.com

Corelli's Op. 5 Violin Sonatas have always been admired by chamber music fans; there are a couple of good recordings of them already available. But this new one by Baroque specialist and virtuoso Andrew Manze and harpsichordist Richard Egarr presents the sonatas in such a bright, exciting, and improvisatory light that they seem brand new. During the composer's lifetime, these sonatas were widely played and tremendously influential; there's a good chance that it was assumed that virtuosi took what was written on the page as a starting point for embellishing and sheer showing off. Manze is breathtaking--fast, articulate, conscious of the genuinely good tunes some of these sonatas contain--and his variances from the written music are thrilling. Egarr knows how to embellish too, and he matches Manze every step of the way. If you're wondering if 131 minutes of only two instruments can keep your interest, don't worry. This will. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding musicality.......2006-07-13

Like a lot of Italian High Baroque music, the scores for these sonatas are rather minimalist, and played strictly as written, these pieces can come across as drab harmony exercises. Manze and Egarr take the score as merely a starting point, in true High Baroque fashion, improvising with an impressive combination of stylistic accuracy, control, and passion that one virtually never hears in classical music.

The fire and immediacy of these performances is exceptional - the sheer joy of the gigue from the A major sonata (no. 9) is something that will stay with you for a while, and the floating, delicate lyricism they give to the slow movements is simply haunting.

I've always thought that Corelli was, with the exceptions of Bach and perhaps Scarlatti, the best composer of the Baroque era, and this set stands comfortably with Trevor Pinnock's magisterial set of the Op. 6 concerti grossi as proof.

What The Baroque Alone Can Do.......2006-01-15

There's something in the greatest of baroque music that it alone can do - a kind of grace in suspended passion, angular sour biting lines that somehow are sweet without being sickly sweet, a mathematical precision that is not arid. It's all here in Arcangelo Corelli's great and generous gift to us all.

I think this music is best listened to on a night when one is physically ill or one is simply too spiritually ill to go much furthur without some sort of stroking of the soul. When played at such times Corelli asks nothing and gives everything - but what a sweet everything he gives!

Full of light and air, a transfiguration that is not heavy, a thoughtfulness that avoids the perils and pains of excessive introspection. There's a reason why people call this music humane and if you'd like to find out why purchase this double CD set and put it on when the burdens of your humanity are a bit too heavy.

What does the Book of Job tell us? That humans are born to trouble as the sparks fly. Here's music that's a true comfort for the likes of Job while he waits for the answers to his rightful questionings.

Music to delight the head--and heart.......2004-09-14

Confession: I have never loved these sonatas. Respected them, yes, of course; but with a polite detachment that their exclusively intellectual and technical achievements seemed to merit.

Well, this album changed all that. It's a masterly performance, effortlessly virtuosic, that shows forth the music in all its lapidary clarity. More than that, though: it is also luminously expressive, replete with moments of such unadorned and lyrical tenderness that the heart opens up, amazed.

For those who think they know this music no less than those who know they do not, Manze and Egarr's achievement is an exquisite revelation.

Captivating.......2003-09-02

I usually think of Corelli as nice "background music," pleasant, but without the emotional depth of Vivaldi, Bach or Handel. However, with this disc I find myself stopping and losing myself in the beautiful tones of Manze's baroque violin. The playing is superb and subtle, revealing these pieces as intimate and poetic. Harmonia Mundi's recording quality is excellent as well. Highly recommended. I can't wait to see what the venerable English Concert does under Manze's new leadership.

pure italian baroque.......2003-08-28

this is really fine music. corelli is the paragon of the "italian" style of baroque (at least until vivaldi caught bach's attention), and these sonatas are perhaps finer than the italianate sonatas by handel. there is marvelous poetry and variety in these pieces, brought forward by the spare instrumentation of violin, bass and harpsichord, and everything is wrapped in corelli's creamy, effortless, halcyon musical world.

my reservation is that manze at times takes these pieces with a raspy vigor that is better left for tartini. the "folias" variations in particular, while tremendous fun and inspiringly ornamented, omit that key (and historically correct) baroque attribute known as decorum. the equally virtuosic recordings by elizabeth wallfisch have the edge on that point.

Tracks:

Sonata In A Major: 1. Adagio
Sonata In A Major: 2. Allegro
Sonata In E Minor: 1. Largo
Sonata In E Minor: 2. Allegro
Sonata In E Minor: 3. Largo
Sonata In E Minor: 4. Allegro
Sonata In D minor: 1. Preludio
Sonata In D minor: 2. Allemanda
Sonata In D minor: 3. Sarabanda
Sonata In D minor: 4. Giga
Sonata In D Major: 1. Allegro - Locatelli Sonata in D Major
Sonata In D Major: 2. Adagio - Locatelli Sonata in D Major
Sonata In D Major: 3. Minuetto
Sonata In E Major: 1. Grave
Sonata In E Major: 2. Allegro
Sonata In E Major: 3. Allegro (tempo di gavotta)
Sonata In E Major: 4. Largo
Sonata In E Major: 5. Allegro
Sonata In G Minor, BWV 1029: 1. Vivace
Sonata In G Minor, BWV 1029: 2. Adagio
Sonata In G Minor, BWV 1029: 3. Allegro

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely Exquisite!.......2006-10-06

This is a fabulous recording! The music and musicianship are superb. The Vivaldi is soulful and the Locatelli and Valentini sonatas are virtuoso pieces wonderfully played. The third Bach sonata was placed on this CD because it did not fit on the Mercury set with the Bach suites. It is a bit of a change of pace (certainly not an Italian cello sonata!). But Sebok is perhaps the best of Starker's collaborators. Their lifelong friendship and shared musical tastes make this one of the best recordings of this Bach sonata. You have to own this CD if you already own the Mercury edition of the Bach solo suites with the other two Bach sonatas.

I am not sure what the "one star" reviewer was thinking. Perhaps he was expecting Baroque a la Jacqueline DuPre...

Technique isn't everything.......2005-11-27

In this recording, Janos Starker proves what true musicians around the globe already know: technique is definitely not everything. These performances are so bland and dry, but you'll never hear him make a mistake. I'd really rather listen to someone who plays with expression but who makes little errors anyday over Janos. I know he's really highly esteemed in the cello world, but he really oughtta stay away from Baroque. These performances are about as gripping as a Slip-`N-Slide. Add to it that he plays all the music like it's Ravel or Brahms (i like both of them, but way different style); the vibrato machine is constantly on - TURN IT OFF! ARE YOU TRYING TO SOUND LIKE A BEL CANTO OPERA SINGER?, tuning is A440, clanky bright PIANO for accompaniment, no one playing continuo - the guy OBVIOUSLY doesn't give a flying fig about authenticity, or the composer's intentions. To sum it up, if you want a recording that sounds like the Suzuki Cello School tapes with way less expression and an even hokier sounding piano, buy this recording. Everyone else, beware.

Superb Starker.......2001-04-28

This collection of Italian Cello Sonatas by the great Janos Starker is one of the most delightful chamber albums I own. The world renowned cellist was joined on this 1966 recording by pianist Stephen Swedish on five of the selections, and by his frequent collaborator Gyorgy Sebok on the Bach Sonata in G minor, which was recorded in 1963 and added to this collection to increase its length (it is a welcome addition musically too). The selections here range from famous composers like Bach, Boccherini and Vivaldi, to the lesser known Corelli, Locatelli and Valentini. For me, the common thread of this recording is the passionate performances of Starker. Whether it is the happy bounce of the Vivaldi Allegro, the sublime rendering of the Boccherini Adagio, or the precise interplay with Sebok on the Bach Sonata, Starker plays masterfully and his cello is captured in rich, full sound by the Mercury Living Presence recording technique. This is an excellent purchase for all cello enthusiasts.

Frans Brüggen Edition Vol. 2 - Italian Recorder Sonatas

Average customer rating:

Excellent Collection Right on Subject.
a clasic...

Frans Brüggen Edition Vol. 2 - Italian Recorder Sonatas
Arcangelo Corelli , Francesco Barsanti , Francesco Maria Veracini , Diogenio Bigaglia , Nicolas Chedeville , Benedetto Marcello , Frans Brueggen , Gustav Leonhardt , and Anner Bylsma
Manufacturer: Teldec
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Handel: The Complete Sonatas for Recorder
Complete Recorder Concertos
The Recorder: 4 Centuries of Recorder Music
Telemann: Recorder Sonatas and Fantasias
The Ultimate Recorder Collection

ASIN: B000000SM7
Release Date: 1994-04-05

Tracks:

La Follia Op. 5 No. 12 In G Minor: Adagio
La Follia Op. 5 No. 12 In G Minor: Allegro
La Follia Op. 5 No. 12 In G Minor: Adagio
La Follia Op. 5 No. 12 In G Minor: Vivace
La Follia Op. 5 No. 12 In G Minor: Allegro
La Follia Op. 5 No. 12 In G Minor: Andante
La Follia Op. 5 No. 12 In G Minor: Allegro
La Follia Op. 5 No. 12 In G Minor: Adagio
La Follia Op. 5 No. 12 In G Minor: Allegro
Sonata In C Major: Adagio
Sonata In C Major: Allegro
Sonata In C Major: Largo
Sonata In C Major: Presto
Sonata In G Major: Largo
Sonata In G Major: Allegro
Sonata In G Major: Largo
Sonata In G Major: Allegro
Sonata In A Minor: Adagio
Sonata In A Minor: Allegro
Sonata In A Minor: Tempo di Minuetto
Sonata In A Minor: Allegro
Sonata Op. 13 No. 6 In G Minor: Vivace
Sonata Op. 13 No. 6 In G Minor: Alla Breve
Sonata Op. 13 No. 6 In G Minor: Largo
Sonata Op. 13 No. 6 In G Minor: Allegro ma non presto
Sonata Op. 2 No. 11 In D Minor: Adagio
Sonata Op. 2 No. 11 In D Minor: Allegro
Sonata Op. 2 No. 11 In D Minor: Largo
Sonata Op. 2 No. 11 In D Minor: Allegro
Sonata Op. 5 No. 4 In F Major: Adagio
Sonata Op. 5 No. 4 In F Major: Allegro
Sonata Op. 5 No. 4 In F Major: Vivace
Sonata Op. 5 No. 4 In F Major: Adagio
Sonata Op. 5 No. 4 In F Major: Allegro
Sonata In A Minor: Largo
Sonata In A Minor: Allegro
Sonata In A Minor: Allegro
Sonata In A Minor: Allegro

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Collection Right on Subject........2006-01-24

This 'Frans Bruggen Edition, Italian Recorder Sonatas' may seem like an insubstantial little piece, but if you have bought enough recordings of 'early music' and recordings of odd corners of the European classical world, you will appreciate how this recording stays right on subject. There is nothing here except Italian Recorder Sonatas. The only accompanyment you will hear is from a harpsicord. The great beauty of the recorder is front and center and you can appreciate its distinctive qualities which separate it from its more modern woodwinds such as the clarinet, the oboe, the bassoon and the English horn.

The publisher, Teldec has not, like Hyperion, indulged in little samples, and I appreciate their staying on message. Needless to say, the performances are outstanding and I am jealous that I cannot play as well as these performers!

a clasic..........2001-08-01

I learned to love the recorder with this cd (of course many years ago) may be is a little old fashion in style, but stills there as a reference point to every recorder player in the world.

Geminiani: Concerti Grossi (after Corelli Op 5) /AAM * Manze

Average customer rating:

relaxing classical music NOT
Wonderfull Baroque
Corelli and his interpreters
go for the real thing
Manze stretches period performance - but not enough

Geminiani: Concerti Grossi (after Corelli Op 5) /AAM * Manze
Francesco Geminiani , Arcangelo Corelli , Andrew Manze , Richard Egarr , The Academy of Ancient Music , David Watkins , and Rachel Podger
Manufacturer: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Albinoni - 12 Concertos, op. 9 / Manze, de Bruine, AAM, Hogwood
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Violin Sonatas Op 5
Handel - Concerti grossi, op. 6 / AAM · Manze

ASIN: B00004UFDB
Release Date: 2000-09-12

Tracks:

I Grave/Allegro/Adagio
II Allegro
III Largo
IV Allegro
I Grave
II Allegro
III Vivace
IV Adagio
V Vivace
I Adagio
II Allegro
III Adagio
IV Allegro
I Adagio
II Allegro
III Vivace
IV Adagio
V Allegro
I Adagio
II Vivace
III Adagio
IV Allegro
I Adagio
II Allegro
III Adagio
IV Allegro
I Preludio - David Watkin
II Giga - David Watkin
III Adagio - David Watkin
IV Tempo Di Gavotta - David Watkin

Tracks:

I Preludio
II Corrente
III Sarabanda
IV Giga
I Preludio
II Allemanda
III Sarabanda
IV Giga
I Preludio
II Giga
III Adagio
IV Tempo Di Gavotta
I Preludio
II Allemanda
III Sarabanda
IV Gavotta
V Giga
I Preludio
II Allegro
II Adagio
IV Vivace
V Gavotta
Theme & Variations 1-8
Variations 9-14
Variations 15-25
I Andante
II Presto
III Adagio
IV Allegro

Amazon.com

Francesco Geminiani (born 1687 in Lucca, Italy; died 1762 in Dublin), a pupil of Corelli and one of the greatest violinists of his day, wrote a lot of music for his instrument, as well as a treatise on playing it. He made the orchestration of these 12 sonatas in tribute to his teacher, who would certainly have been proud if he had lived to hear them. Going far beyond mere arrangements, they seem to explore and reveal latent or unrealized intentions, adding sonorities and contrapuntal voices, enhancing character and expression. The most striking example is the famous "La Follia," where the usually hidden drama is suddenly released with a tumultuous virtuosity that foreshadows Liszt's orchestral version of Schubert's Wanderer Fantasy. The playing is stunning. Tuned a half-tone down, the strings have a lovely, pure, transparent sound that supports and surrounds the soloist with a warm shimmer; the long notes float, the fast movements are crisp and light, the rhythm and counterpoint are clear. Andrew Manze, who also writes informative, entertaining program notes, plays with spectacular virtuosity, a beautiful tone, and all-out expressive abandon and imagination, letting loose cascades of infinitely varied, inventive ornamentation. The second disc features the easier, more familiar sonatas, loved by all violin students, but transformed here into brilliant concertos. One of them is added to the first disc in Geminiani's ornamented version for violin and cello, while a cello sonata by Geminiani himself closes the program, perhaps a miscalculation, since the music is distinctly inferior to Corelli's. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

relaxing classical music NOT.......2007-02-23

in london on that cold rainey tuesday night i saw andrew play some of these selections
he brought the house down or i should say the wren church
like a rock star in a way
he was covered in sweat
i love music
all music played with passion
i have fantasies
a young music group
outside the local classical music station
all relaxing all the time
they call the press those young musicians
we are so very passionate declares the young violinist
themes and variations 25
from geminiani's remiz of corelli
and they play their heart out
and maybe the tv station has a music lover
he loves jimmi at woodstock playing the national anthem
the smiths how soon is now
U2 playing sunday bloody sunday sunday live in dublin
its the last story the only in san francisco story
and its played to its fullest
and the young players really show it off
that young vioinest really plays
and that sweat and passion
he even makes a woop
during the most passionate part
impresses the station manager who loves jimmi at woodstock
and morrisey
and U2 in dublin
wow

Wonderfull Baroque.......2007-02-01

As I heartily agree with Dan Grunfeld's review I can be brief. Corelli's opus 5, 12 sonatas for violin, with harpsichord or cello, set the standard for violin composition and playing for 100 years; his pupil and loving disciple, Geminiani, has carefully orchestrated and developed them into 12 concerti grossi, which doubles our pleasure, in no way does it make the original sonatas obsolete. Although I have sone reservations with some of Andrew Manze's recordings of Vivaldi and Bach violin concertos,he does a superb job in this recording. His recording of Handel's Opus 6, Mr Handels's Twelve Grand Concertos, more concerti grossi, is also excellent.

Corelli and his interpreters.......2006-05-10

As the reader may already know, the opus 5 violin sonatas of Corelli were the inspiration for this orchestral interpretation of them by Geminiani. As related by Manze in his album notes, Corelli chose the significant year 1700 to publish opus 5, and according to Manze, this represents a landmark in Italian baroque, for every composer who came after has had to reckon with these sonatas, and somehow find a way to equal (but not surpass) them in invention and creativity. Vivaldi composed his own version of "La Follia" (Sonata XII), arguably better than Corelli's; but many another of Vivaldi's sonatas, magnificent though they are, simply do not have the clarity, spirituality, grace, and lyricism of the Corelli opus 5. Geminiani, a student of Corelli, and arguably one of the greatest baroque violinists of his day, crafted these orchestral versions of the opus 5 as a tribute to his master. Manze rightly observes that these concertos are not simply orchestrations of opus 5, but actually extensions of it; they are variations to some extent, creative expansions and magnificent glosses on the originals. New points of emphasis are added, some phrasings are given a different turn, new counterpoint is introduced at various places in the score to enhance the subtle beauty of the originals. If you love the Italian baroque, you will not want to be without this gem. But as others have observed, don't neglect the original sonatas themselves. Manze has recorded his own inimitable version on Harmonia Mundi, and I strongly recommend it. But there are others as well. Elizabeth Wallfisch on the Hyperion Label has her own recording, slightly more subdued yet also smoother than Manze's. I strongly recommend that you buy as many versions of the opus 5 as you have the budget for (well, at least three!), starting with these orchestrations by Geminiani. They will teach you to love the originals. Look at them as perhaps a point of entrance into what many consider the greatest violin sonatas ever written.

go for the real thing.......2003-01-13

geminiani wrote some fine concerti in his career, but buyers should be aware that these 12 concerti grossi are actually geminiani's transcriptions for chamber orchestra of the 12 sonatas for violin and continuo, op.5, by his teacher, the roman composer archangelo corelli. (this explains the inclusion of two of the original corelli sonatas on the disc.) i am a great fan of both corelli and geminiani, and their mellifluous, elegant and sophisticated style of baroque music sounds great in any format ... but you may enjoy these sonatas more performed in their original versions.

Manze stretches period performance - but not enough.......2002-08-24

I am a dissident about "authentic instrument performance". I respect the commitment and skills of many of the practioners of this style of play. But I suggest that playing to audiences that have been dead for 250 years is an intellectual, not a musical idea.

Why turn our back on the glorious string tone evolved since 1700? Refitting instruments and using gut strings reduces a fine violin's projection capacity to that of a $500 student violin. This is progress? throughout history composers sought to maximize the impact of their music on audiences. They quickly adapted instrumental improvements as they became available. Did Beethoven frequently break hammers of his "Hammerklavier" because he was satisfied with the volume he was producing? Then why on earth abandon a resonant, responsive Steinway grand and play Beethoven sonatas on a pitiful fortepiano? It makes no esthetic sense. It is an insult to relegate a Vivaldi who electrified his audiences with bold new effects and dramatic flights of inspiration to the "ancient music" ghetto.

OK, back to Manze. Manze is technically gifted, and emotionally probably more in tune with Italian than English temperament. He allows greater expression than the quaint, contrived and mannered styles of the Keuken brothers or the Camerata Koln - but I still bet that if Antonio Vivaldi came back, heard Solisti Italiani playing his works in a tasteful but full-blooded "living tradition style" letting his inspiration be realized for the new age, and then heard Manze, he might well do a Peter Townshend and smash Manze's violin for him.

Veracini: Sonatas /Holloway * ter Linden * Mortensen
Average customer rating:

If it ain't Baroque, don't fix it (with apologies for the terrible pun :)

PURITY + PRECISION = PURE BAROQUE MAGIC

Veracini: Sonatas /Holloway * ter Linden * Mortensen

Manufacturer: Ecm Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
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Schmelzer: Unarum Fidium /Holloway * Assenbaum * Mortensen

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Italian Violin Sonatas: Fabio Biondi/Europa Galante

Buxtehude: Seven Trio Sonatas, Op. 2

ASIN: B0007R8FSU
Release Date: 2005-03-29

Tracks:

Overtura: Largo - Allegro
Aria. Affetuoso
Paesana. Allegro
Minuet. Allegro
Giga Postiglione. Allegro
Largo
Allegro
Largo
Allegro
Grave-Allegro
Allegro
Allegro
Allegro
Allegro
Siciliana. Larghetto
Capriccio. Allegro, E Con Affetto
Andante Moderato
Largo
Allegro Assai

Amazon.com

Veracini, one of the most outstanding violinists of his time and a prolific, versatile composer, is best known for his violin sonatas. The four recorded here come from different collections; obviously written by - and for - a virtuoso, they vary greatly in style and form. Opus 1 No. 1 is somber and dramatic, but three of its five movements are graceful dances; in the final Gigue, the violin imitates a "Posthorn." Opus 2, written 20 years later and entitled "Sonate accademiche," is more subtle and complex. No. 6 begins with a Siciliana, followed by a "Capriccio," a form Veracini favored: free, charming, surprisingly dissonant and chromatic. The minor-mode slow movement, flanked by two light, fast ones, is mournful and intensely expressive. The remaining two Sonatas are more contrapuntal. No. 1 from Veracini's last collection, "Dissertazioni" on Corelli's Sonatas Opus 5, develops Corelli's multiple-voice counterpoint and retains his "Moto perpetuo" finale. The playing is splendid. Holloway tosses off the fast passages, stratospheric flights, double and triple stops with effortless virtuosity; his articulation is crisp, his rhythm supple. Using low tuning and sparing vibrato, he produces a beautiful, warm tone, which he can change instantly to fit mood and character. His embellishments are brilliant and imaginative; his crescendos and decrescendos usually follow the ascending and descending lines, and he rather overdoes the echo effects. Jaap ter Linden makes his prominent cello parts authoritative yet supportive. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

If it ain't Baroque, don't fix it (with apologies for the terrible pun :).......2007-06-07

This is one of those rare discs that is pretty much perfect. "Pure Baroque Magic", as the previous reviewer said. Like that reviewer, I wasn't familiar with Veracini until this disc. Too many wonderful composers from the Baroque period are overshadowed by their much more famous contemporaries (e.g., Bach and Vivaldi), but Veracini is definitely worth discovering!

The four sonatas on the disc are beautifully written and performed, and the clarity of the recording is top-notch. Holloway seems to channel the spirit of composer-violinist Veracini (think of Yo-Yo Ma performing Boccherini) in his mastery of extemporaneous melodic ornamentation (trills, turns, and mordents -- oh my!), which was usually not notated explicity in Baroque manuscripts but rather simply expected of a capable performer. Holloway is certainly that!

These aren't sonatas in the Classical (and later) sense of the term. Using later definitions, these might have been called trios. But the sonata form in the Baroque period was different. In the Vivaldian form, there were four movements, while in the form popularized by Corelli, there were five -- as opposed to the more common three-movement form in the Classical and Romantic periods. There are representatives of both Baroque forms here, one of which is an explicit homage to Corelli's Opus 5.

Those familiar with the later form of the sonata might also be surprised to see a harpsichord *and* cello here, but the two operate together as a continuo in most of the movements, which is typical of the period. There are occasions, however, where the cello and harpsichord get to "stretch their legs", so to speak, breaking out of the continuo model, as in the lovely opening movement of the Sonata No. 5 in C Major (track 6). Listen for the wonderful tinkling arpeggiation in the hapsichord part, making it sound more like a harp, while the cello part is beautifully spare, harmonically reinforcing the central violin solo.

Veracini also has the ability to surprise. In the liner notes, Holloway calls him "an innovative composer [with] an eccentric personality", and that comes through at many points. For example, in the downward chromatic progression in the Aria movement of the Sonata No. 1 in G Minor (track 2). But while he diverges from traditional harmonic and contrapuntal forms at times, Veracini also delivers passages that are wonderfully illustrative of Baroque character, as in the second movement of the Sonata No. 1 in D Major (track 11), which has the feel of a Bach canon. Think of the final Allegro of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, taken down in tempo, and you'll have a good sense of it. There are also remarkably lovely slower movements, as in the Largo of the Sonata No. 6 in A Major (track 18), which calls to mind echoes of Vivaldi and Albinoni.

So, if you like the Baroque -- and in particular, Vivaldi, Corelli, Scarlatti, and to a lesser extent Bach -- do yourself a favor and order a copy of the Veracini Sonatas.

PURITY + PRECISION = PURE BAROQUE MAGIC.......2006-04-25

This is the fourth recording on ECM by John Holloway and colleagues. The first three are:

Schmelzer -- Unarum Fidium (ASIN B00002R0ZJ)
Biber -- Unam Ceylum (ASIN B00006I61G)
Biber -- Der Turken Anmarsch (ASIN B0000XK7LE)

These three discs are among the finest of all Baroque chamber music recordings that I've heard. To my taste, the two Biber CDs eclipse Andrew Manze's earlier effort and flirt with the status of desert-island discs.

Holloway's tone is phenomenally pure and precise. His colleagues are with him every step of the way. The playing brings to mind that of the finest string quartets -- that is how closely the players listen to each other and respond and integrate their parts.

Everything about these ECM discs is a delight: the music itself, the performances, the engineering (demonstration-worthy), and even such trivial niceties as the artwork and booklet.

This Veracini CD was released in March 2005, but I wasn't familiar with Veracini and so didn't purchase the disc. It wasn't until this CD was selected as a Gramophone Editor's Choice in April 2006 (I guess there's not a statute of limitations for that distinction) that I took the plunge.

My only regret is that I waited so long. Holloway & Co. have produced a truly outstanding disc. What surprised me so much is how outright tuneful Veracini's music is. In every movement, the violin dances and sings and traces some remarkably beautiful melodic lines. Jaap ter Linden on cello and Lars Ulriks Mortenson on harpsichord could not be more sympathetic or responsive partners. If this team had an ensemble name, that name would rank right at the apex of Baroque chamber groups, along with Florilegium, The Rare Fruits Council (Manfredo Kraemer), and Romanesca (Andrew Manze).

I would not consider this music as "specialist-only" repertoire. Veracini's music is so instantly attractive that it should appeal to any Baroque enthusiast.

The first piece on this CD, Op. 1/1, was recently recorded by Biondi and Europa Galante as the first piece on a CD of Italian violin sonatas (ASIN B00008XRSR). Don't get me wrong, I am an enthusiastic fan of Biondi and his group, but in this piece Holloway & Co. play circles around the Italians. Don't believe me? Listen to the sounds clips and decide for yourself!

I only hope that Hollway and his colleagues go on to record many more chamber-music discs as fine as this. Don't change the recipe, just give us more please!

(A fifth CD by these performers is available only through Amazon.co.uk -- ASIN B00005UC9Z. It's called "A London Concert" and includes works by Handel, Geminiani, Veracini, and others. It's on the audiophile Naim label.)

[Playing time: 61:46]

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Average customer rating:

The Art of Ruggiero Ricci

Manufacturer: Vox (Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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Milstein (4CD Set)
The Art of Ivry Gitlis
Leonid Kogan Edition [Box Set]
Ivry Gitlis [DVD Video]
Lazar Berman Edition (Box Set)

ASIN: B0001NPTX4
Release Date: 2005-10-18

Average customer rating:

A very beautiful musical companion

Corelli: Violin Sonatas Op. 5, Nos. 1-6

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

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Corelli: Violin Sonatas
Violin Sonatas Op 5
Corelli: Violin Sonatas, Op. 5
Corelli: 12 Concerti grossi, op. 6
Arcangelo Corelli: Sonatas 1, 3, 6, 11 & 12 "La Follia" for Violin, Cello & Harpsichord, Op. V

ASIN: B0006IGPZK
Release Date: 2005-02-22

Tracks:

Grave - Allegro
Allegro
Allegro
Adagio
Allegro
Grave
Allegro
Vivace
Adagio
Vivace
Adagio
Allegro
Adagio
Allegro
Giga: Allegro
Adagio
Allegro
Vivace
Adagio
Allegro
Adagio
Vivace
Adagio
Vivace
Giga: Allegro
Grave
Allegro
Allegro
Adagio
Allegro

Customer Reviews:

A very beautiful musical companion.......2007-06-07

I have been listening to this CD on my own during my lunch and tea breaks at work for the last week. I enjoy it very much and I like Lucy van Dael's very poetic interpretations of these great works. The use of an organ and harpsichord, alternatively, is very agreeable. The organ helps us remember that these works were very much in the tradition of the 17th century church sonata form.

I have the double disc of the complete sonatas recorded by Andrew Manze for Harmonia Mundi. I like that recording very much, but for some reason, I am enjoying Ms van Dael's recording more at the moment. Go figure?

I only hope that Lucy van Dael and Bob van Asperen get around to recording the rest of the sonatas for NAXOS soon.

A very beautiful and stylish CD. Warmly recommended by me.

Average customer rating:

Transcendent Italian baroque

Corelli: Violin Sonatas, Op. 5

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Corelli: Violin Sonatas Op. 5, Nos. 1-6
Corelli: Sonatas for Strings
Corelli: Sonate a violino e violone o cimbalo, Op. 5
Complete Organ Concertos
Geminiani: Concerti grossi, Op. 3

ASIN: B0000DJENK
Release Date: 2004-01-13

Customer Reviews:

Transcendent Italian baroque.......2006-06-12

Having already spent many enjoyable hours listening to baroque violinist Andrew Manze and harpsichordist Richard Egarr perform these sonatas on their recent Harmonia Mundi recording, I was drawn to purchase this slightly older recording on Hyperion, now that it has been repackaged as a discounted 'Dyad'. I wanted to have at least two versions in order to be able to hear these much-beloved sonatas performed in different ways. Accordingly, this review will be in large part a contrast between the Manze-Egarr recording on HM and this one by Wallfisch and her Convivium ensemble on Hyperion.

You don't need to be a rocket scientist to realize that Manze has a more emphatic style than Wallfisch. Wallfisch is understated, exceedingly subtle, and at times you must turn the volume up in order to hear her clearly. With Manze, it's just the opposite; in fact he can induce mild ear-pain at times. Manze overall is more forthright; amazingly prolific, oratorical, delivering flawless interpretations with ease and the greatest dexterity. What is missing from Manze is a wider dynamic range; it seems as if everything is played forte. Wallfisch plays with more staccatto strokes, and with a much more subdued tone than Manze. The end result is that, depending on the movement, Manze's rendering will sometimes seem the better, and sometimes Wallfisch's.

On this recording, the opening movement of the first sonata is simply breathtaking: Wallfisch's violin, with the greatest subtletly and consummate finesse, soars with ingenious ornamentation and a perfectly understated lyricism. And overall I would say that Wallfisch is decidedly better at the ornamentation than Manze. The last sonata, La Follia, which Wallfisch plays superbly, carefully nuancing each stroke of the variations, clearly showcases Wallfisch's careful, deliberate yet understated bowing technique. But elsewhere, it is Manze's style of playing that I prefer. To my ear, Wallfisch mangles the beautiful opening movement of sonata VII, while Manze has captured its sweet lyricism perfectly.

These are two very different artists, and both prodigiously gifted, each with a unique tone and style. Wallfisch is nuanced, careful, considerate, understated, and precise. She has less emphatic polish, and while this creates a sense of diminished presence on first encounter, her sound and style wear much better on the ear with repeated listening. In summary, both recordings put forth their own unique light. While Manze's recording has brought a sense of freshness to these time-worn pieces, Wallfisch's great sense of nuance, greater subtletly of ornamentation, and overall gentler tone, bring me back repeatedly to her recording.

Average customer rating:

Recommended

Corelli: La Folia and Other Sonatas

Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
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Corelli: 12 Concerti grossi, op. 6
Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series

ASIN: B000002ZJF
Release Date: 1993-11-12

Tracks:

Sonata da Chiesa in G, op. 1, no. 9: Allegro - Adagio
Sonata da Chiesa in G, op. 1, no. 9: Allegro
Sonata da Chiesa in G, op. 1, no. 9: Adagio
Sonata da Chiesa in G, op. 1, no. 9: Allegro - Adagio
Violin Sonata in C, op. 5, no. 3: Adagio
Violin Sonata in C, op. 5, no. 3: Allegro
Violin Sonata in C, op. 5, no. 3: Adagio
Violin Sonata in C, op. 5, no. 3: Allegro
Violin Sonata in C, op. 5, no. 3: Allegro
Sonata da Camera in A, op. 4, no. 3: Preludio (Largo)
Sonata da Camera in A, op. 4, no. 3: Corrente (Allegro)
Sonata da Camera in A, op. 4, no. 3: Sarabanda (Largo)
Sonata da Camera in A, op. 4, no. 3: Tempo di gavotta (Allegro)
Viola da Gamba Sonata in D: Preludio (Adagio)
Viola da Gamba Sonata in D: Allegro
Viola da Gamba Sonata in D: Adagio
Viola da Gamba Sonata in D: Vivace
Viola da Gamba Sonata in D,: Gavotta (Allegro)
Sonata da Camera in G (Ciaccona), op. 2, no. 12
Violin Sonata in D Minor (La Folia), op. 5, no. 12
Sonata da Camera in E Minor, op. 2, no. 4: Preludio (Adagio)
Sonata da Camera in E Minor, op. 2, no. 4: Allemanda (Presto)
Sonata da Camera in E Minor, op. 2, no. 4: Grave - Adagio
Sonata da Camera in E Minor, op. 2, no. 4: Giga (Allegro)
Sonata da Chiesa in A, op. 3, no. 12: Grave -- Allegro - Adagio
Sonata da Chiesa in A, op. 3, no. 12: Vivace
Sonata da Chiesa in A, op. 3, no. 12: Allegro
Sonata da Chiesa in A, op. 3, no. 12: Allegro
Sonata da Chiesa in A, op. 3, no. 12: Allegro

Customer Reviews:

Recommended.......2000-02-16

This selection of sonatas from Corelli's Op 1 to Op 5 is beautifully performed by the Purcell Quartet recorded here in 1986.

All of the works included fully justify their selection - if I had to pick out any in particluar however, in addition to 'La Folia' I would mention the Ciacona in E minor (Op 2 no 12). It should also be noted that the Op 5 Violin Sonata no 11 is included here in an anonymous arrangement for Viola da Gamba in D major.

Tracks:

Hooked On Baroque 2
Hooked On Adagio
Hooked On Gigue
Hooked On Fugue
Hooked On Handel
Hooked On Vivaldi
Hooked On Scarlatti
Hooked On Baroque 2 (Reprise)

Customer Reviews:

Pretty Damn Good.......2004-07-06

I received as a gift the box set of all four Hooked On Classics CD's. As an avid fan of classical music, I was quite shocked to hear DRUMS in the background! I didn't really know what the Hooked On Classics series was, so I didn't know what to expect. As such, I eventually got used to the percussion, and found that I liked the fourth CD the best of all of them. The drums are more tolerable, and the recording quality is much improved over the other volumes. The playing is superb; on par with any legitimate recording made by any professional orchestra. The selections are diverse, and the arrangements are refreshing. HOC 4 was my link to many of the full-length versions of the excerpts featured, and I especially like the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 7th, and 8th tracks (the 8th track is simply an extended version of the 1st, which makes it a much better rendition). The harpsichord playing in the 7th track is outstanding, as are the arrangements for this track. The climax will give you chills. All in all, an excellent album. I give it four stars only because as a die-hard purist, I don't suppose Bach and Vivaldi and Scarlatti would be too happy if they were to hear percussion along with their music. It would be interesting to see what the tracks would sound like without this.

Great CD, specially the adagio........2004-01-28

I love this CD in particular, because it introduced me to various greatest hits of baroque. I used it to practice my music as a teenager. I recommed this to you, specially if you have kids, because the drum sounds, make it easier to listen to the new generations. I loved the Pachelbel, and the adagio part is Super Excellent.

It's No Louis Clark & the Royal Philharmonic... But it's ok.......2003-12-07

Back in 81 when I got the original Hooked on Classics record as a gift (which I still have), I discovered the beauty and power of classical music in a different way. Now, classical music makes up 1/3 of my music library because of that compilation of classics (thanks to Louis Clark and the Royal Philharmonic).

So would I say this volume 4 has the same effect? I'd answer no, but I did like tracks 2 & 7.

No So Great.......2003-10-29

Once again another pathetic attempt at recreating what Louis Clark did with the original Hooked on the Classics. He succeeded by getting many of us hooked to the classics...something this album probably can't and won't do.

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