Vln Sons Op5

While today's premier jazz musicians are masters of improvisation (of course!), most classically trained musicians are not. Thus, much baroque music has been "ornamented" for today's performers. Andrew Manze and Richard Egarr need no such ornamentation since both are virtuosi of improvisation, bringing a special vibrancy to each recording on which they collaborate. Egarr, especially, (and at least on this recording), excells at ornamentation, but both Manze and Egarr seem totally "in sync" with the other, improvising point and counterpoint to perfection.

Arcangelo Corelli published these violin sonatas on 1. January 1700, and they are, says Andrew Manze, Corelli's one and only set of violin sonatas as well as some of the finest and most influential ever composed. I think it is impressive that Corelli is the earliest composer whose major works have remained continuously in the repertoire of violinists everywhere.

The most striking thing about any Corelli composition lies in its harmony. Corelli believed that movements must modulate to closely related keys, something that is commonplace now, but was revolutionary during Corelli's time. This made Corelli's music seem very "orderly" and "elegant" as opposed to someone like Biber's, a contemporary of Corelli. Corelli also believed that sequences that moved up and down only a step were the very key to a virtuoso passaggio. He was also innovative in the use of dissonance, to the consternation of his English and German counterparts.

Corelli wasn't always innovative, however. Sonatas 1 to 6 are very "traditional" (traditional here meaning written in the style of the seventeenth century).

It is important to note that composers and publishers used Corelli's music to write out sometimes quite florid ornamentations. Corelli, though, many thought, opposed this, although some of the early ornamentations (including those done by Corelli's pupil Geminiani, Sonata No. 9) can be heard on this recording.

I think this is a gorgeous recording and any lover of baroque music, especially baroque violin music, will not only want, but need, to have it in his or her collection.

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.

by the way, if you enjoy this recording, i strongly urge you to get corelli's magnificent concerti grossi, a true pinnacle in the form and one of the great achievements of baroque music.