Lenka Torgersen, Václav Luks, Libor Mašek - Il violino Boemo. Music from 18th Century Prague (2014)

Tracklist

01. Violin Sonata in B-Flat Major: I. Largo
02. Violin Sonata in B-Flat Major: II. Allegro ma non molto
03. Violin Sonata in B-Flat Major: III. Amoroso
04. Violin Sonata in F Major: I. Adagio
05. Violin Sonata in F Major: II. Allegro
06. Violin Sonata in F Major: III. Tempo di menuet
07. Violin Sonata in C Minor: I. Siciliano
08. Violin Sonata in C Minor: II. Allegro
09. Violin Sonata in C Minor: III. Presto
10. Violin Sonata in A Major: I. Andante
11. Violin Sonata in A Major: II. Allegro
12. Violin Sonata in A Major: III. Cantabile
13. Violin Sonata in D Major: I. Adagio
14. Violin Sonata in D Major: II. Allegro
15. Violin Sonata in D Major: III. Cantabile
16. Violin Sonata in D Major: IV. Vivace
17. Violin Sonata in C Major: I. Adagio
18. Violin Sonata in C Major: II. Allegro
19. Violin Sonata in C Major: III. Gavotte



The CD's title, a paraphrase of Josef Mysliveček's nickname, Il divino Boemo, aptly characterises the theme of the recording: the 18th-century violin virtuosos/composers hailing from the Czech lands. The most distinguished of them, whose influence was compared to that of Tartini's, was František Benda. Although inspired by Vivaldi, he created his own singular performance style, which was even lauded by the famous English music historian Charles Burney. The CD features sonatas preserved in Prague in period copies. Also contained on the recording are overlooked pieces by composers virtually unknown until recently. František Jiránek's life is linked with Count Václav Morzin's celebrated orchestra, as well as Antonio Vivaldi himself. Another discovery is the sonata by J. A. Gurecký. Owing to the masterful and refined performance of the violinist Lenka Torgersen and the spellbinding accompaniment of the harpsichordist Václav Luks (also the conductor of Collegium 1704), the album presents to us the fascinating world of Czech violin virtuosos - a colourful, tender and beautiful world.

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