Rossini: Sonatas for Strings Nos. 1–6 - I Musici & Newton Classics (2-CD Set)

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• UPC: 8718247710416
• Product Type: Audio CD (2-CD Set)
• Brand Name: Newton Classics
• MPN: 8802041
• Genre: Classical
• Style: Bel Canto / Orchestral
• Composer: Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868)
• Artists: I Musici
• Release Year: 2011 (Original recording 1971/1972)

Product Features

• Format: 2 Compact Discs (CD)
• Recording Mode: ADD Stereo
• Total Timing: 80'54
• Recording Date: June and September 1971, La Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland
• Manufactured in: The Netherlands

Overview

This Newton Classics release features the complete String Sonatas by a young Gioachino Rossini, performed with the characteristic elegance and vitality of the renowned Italian ensemble I Musici. Composed when Rossini was only twelve years old, these six sonatas for two violins, cello, and double bass are marvels of precocious craftsmanship, filled with the melodic wit and operatic flair that would later define his career. Originally recorded for Philips in the early 1970s, these performances are widely considered the benchmark for this repertoire, capturing the warmth and sun-drenched spirit of these youthful masterpieces.

Interesting Facts

• Youthful Brilliance: Rossini composed these sonatas during a single summer in 1804 while staying at a friend's country house; he famously remarked that the first violin parts were so high because he wrote them for his own youthful range.
• Unique Instrumentation: Unlike the standard string quartet, these sonatas omit the viola, replacing it with a prominent double bass part, which gives the music a distinctively resonant and light-hearted character.
• I Musici Legacy: Founded in 1951, I Musici was one of the first groups to revive Baroque and early Classical repertoire using modern instruments, and their recordings are celebrated for their rich, cohesive string tone.
• The "Tempest" Finale: The final movement of Sonata No. 6 is famously titled "Tempesta," foreshadowing the dramatic storm scenes Rossini would later perfect in operas like The Barber of Seville and William Tell.

Track Listing

CD 1 (37'00)

• String Sonata No. 1 in G — Moderato; Andantino; Allegro
• String Sonata No. 2 in A — Allegro; Andantino; Allegro
• String Sonata No. 3 in C — Allegro; Andante; Moderato

CD 2 (43'54)

• String Sonata No. 4 in B flat — Allegro vivace; Andantino; Allegretto
• String Sonata No. 5 in E flat — Allegro vivace; Andantino; Allegretto
• String Sonata No. 6 in D — Allegro spiritoso; Andante assai; Tempesta (Allegro)

Publishers

• Label: Newton Classics B.V.
• Copyright: ℗ 1972 Universal International Music B.V. / © 2011 Newton Classics B.V.
• Art Direction & Design: Jan Martin Wilschut BNO

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