Tartini: Violin Sonata in G minor, Op. 1 No. 10 'Didone abbandonata'

Erica Morini (1905-1995), born and trained in Vienna, managed, as one of the first female violinists of the first half of the 20th-century, to build an international career.

This was unusual at a time when the concert platforms were still dominated by male soloists. Morini started out as a child prodigy; following sensational débuts with the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig and the Berlin Philharmonic under Arthur Nikisch, she performed at Carnegie Hall in New York for the first time in 1921. Morini, who was of Jewish descent, emigrated to the US in the late 1930s, extending her career in that country. Her artistic career lasted for over five decades; however, she made few commercial recordings.

Morini is particularly impressive in live recordings, including this concert recording of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto made in 1952 with the RIAS Symphony Orchestra Berlin and Ferenc Fricsay. Her art as a violinist becomes apparent in an exemplary fashion, explaining why Morini was considered by some to be the greatest violinist of the twentieth century. Her sophisticated mastery of virtuoso pieces and baroque sonatas is also impressively documented by the RIAS recordings with Michael Raucheisen.

A brand new recording by Palladians features programmatic sonatas by Tartini, including the famous Devil’s Trill Sonata (inspired by a dream in which he made a pact with the Devil). Also included is a sonata by Veracini, whose skilful playing was a great influence on the young Tartini.

• Famed throughout Europe as a pre-eminent virtuoso, Tartini was a private, secretive man, only revealing his true character through secret codes in his manuscripts.

• Tartini’s programmatic sonatas ('Didone Abandonata' and ‘The Devil's Trill’ - a deservedly celebrated masterpiece) display his intense pictorial inward gaze that sets him apart from his many Italian colleagues.

• Veracini’s legendary virtuosity (which led Tartini to temporarily withdraw into solitudinous practice) created a storm of success in England and led to the popular toast 'One God, One King, and One Veracini!'

• Palladians is firmly established on the international stage as one of the very best chamber groups performing baroque repertoire. Constant critical acclaim, a reputation for dashing, intelligent musicianship and a warm, spontaneous on-stage manner has led this virtuoso ensemble to give numerous concert and radio performances in the UK

• Palladians are five times winners of the prestigious Diapason d'Or Award, (1993, 1994, 1998, 1999 and 2000) and has twice had albums named Gramophone "Editor's Choice".

The new Bronislaw Gimpel edition presents on three CDs all recordings made by the violinist between 1954 and 1957 for the RIAS Berlin. Not only do they illustrate the striking violinistic profile of the artist, but also the stylistic palette of his repertoire.

Bronislaw Gimpel (1911-1979) was one of the “old school” violin virtuosos. His distinctly individual approach towards sound and phrasing left a strong mark in the history of violin playing. Gimpel was born in the Galician city of Lemberg, today’s Lviv in the Ukraine. He received his musical training at the conservatoires of his home city as well as Vienna, and at the Berlin Musikhochschule with Carl Flesch. Gimpel established an international and versatile career as a soloist, concert master, chamber musician, conductor and violin teacher.