Convivium - Leclair: Violin Sonatas, Vol. 1-2 (1999)

Tracklist

Leclair: Violin Sonatas, Vol. 1
01. Violin Sonata in C Minor, Op. 5 No. 6 "Le Tombeau": I. Grave
02. Violin Sonata in C Minor, Op. 5 No. 6 "Le Tombeau": II. Allegro ma non troppo
03. Violin Sonata in C Minor, Op. 5 No. 6 "Le Tombeau": III. Gavotta grazioso. Andante
04. Violin Sonata in C Minor, Op. 5 No. 6 "Le Tombeau": IV. Allegro
05. Violin Sonata in C Major, Op. 5 No. 10: I. Largo
06. Violin Sonata in C Major, Op. 5 No. 10: II. Allegro assai
07. Violin Sonata in C Major, Op. 5 No. 10: III. Aria. Andante
08. Violin Sonata in C Major, Op. 5 No. 10: IV. Tamborin. Presto
09. Violin Sonata in E Minor, Op. 5 No. 3: I. Largo. Un poco dolce sempre
10. Violin Sonata in E Minor, Op. 5 No. 3: II. Vivace
11. Violin Sonata in E Minor, Op. 5 No. 3: III. Aria grazioso. Andante
12. Violin Sonata in E Minor, Op. 5 No. 3: IV. Allegro
13. Violin Sonata in E Minor, Op. 5 No. 3: V. Presto
14. VIolin Sonata in G Minor, Op. 5 No. 11: I. Andante
15. VIolin Sonata in G Minor, Op. 5 No. 11: II. Allegro
16. VIolin Sonata in G Minor, Op. 5 No. 11: III. Siciliano. Largo
17. VIolin Sonata in G Minor, Op. 5 No. 11: IV. Giga. Allegro ma non troppo
18. Violin Sonata in B-Flat Major, Op. 5 No. 4: I. Adagio
19. Violin Sonata in B-Flat Major, Op. 5 No. 4: II. Allegro ma non troppo
20. Violin Sonata in B-Flat Major, Op. 5 No. 4: III. Sarabanda. Largo
21. Violin Sonata in B-Flat Major, Op. 5 No. 4: IV. Ciacona

Jean-Marie Leclair is hardly the most typical composer from the late French Baroque: born and raised in Lyons rather than Paris, he was a professional dancer (and, indeed, lacemaker) before reaching his prime as a violinist; he spent much time out of France (including protracted stays in Turin and appointments in Holland and Spain); he became estranged from his second wife in his later years; and, most tantalizing of all, he was murdered in strange circumstances in his late sixties.

However, despite all these unusual factors he enjoyed an extremely successful career both as a performer and as a composer, with thirteen opuses printed before his death and two more posthumously. He found favour with the court of Louis XV and also worked for noble houses in The Netherlands and Spain.

It is clear from his music that Leclair was well acquainted with the remarkable violin writing of Locatelli, and the two had a celebrated contest in Germany. Certainly, there was no one else in France who matched both Leclair's virtuoso, idiomatic violin writing and his subtlety of compositional organization.


Leclair: Violin Sonatas, Vol. 2
01. Violin Sonata in D Major, Op. 9 No. 3: I. Un poco andante
02. Violin Sonata in D Major, Op. 9 No. 3: II. Allegro
03. Violin Sonata in D Major, Op. 9 No. 3: III. Sarabande. Largo
04. Violin Sonata in D Major, Op. 9 No. 3: IV. Tambourin. Presto
05. Violin Sonata in E Minor, Op. 9 No. 2: I. Dolce. Andante
06. Violin Sonata in E Minor, Op. 9 No. 2: II. Allemande. Allegro ma non troppo
07. Violin Sonata in E Minor, Op. 9 No. 2: III. Sarabande. Adagio
08. Violin Sonata in E Minor, Op. 9 No. 2: IV. Minuet. Allegro ma non troppo
09. Violin Sonata in G Major, Op. 9 No. 7: I. Dolce. Andante
10. Violin Sonata in G Major, Op. 9 No. 7: II. Allegro ma non troppo
11. Violin Sonata in G Major, Op. 9 No. 7: III. Aria. Affettuoso
12. Violin Sonata in G Major, Op. 9 No. 7: IV. Giga. Allegro moderato
13. Violin Sonata in D Major, Op. 9 No. 6: I. Allegro
14. Violin Sonata in D Major, Op. 9 No. 6: II. Adagio
15. Violin Sonata in D Major, Op. 9 No. 6: III. Gavotte. Allegro ma non troppo
16. Violin Sonata in D Major, Op. 9 No. 6: IV. Giga. Prestissimo

Leclair's four publications of sonatas for the violin seem to reflect, in microcosm, the general development of violin performance in France. The first two books (1722 and 1728) present relatively straightforward dance and sonata movements of moderate difficulty, the third and fourth books (as featured here), written in 1734 and c1738-1743 show considerable developments in violin technique together with a bolder harmonic style. The Quatrième livre de sonates (Op 9, dedicated to Princess Anne of The Netherlands) shows an interesting development of the more virtuosic style that the composer first displayed in the third book only a few years before.

DOWNLOAD ALBUM [flac] Vol 1

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