LOUISE FARRENC (1804-1875): Violin Sonatas No. 1, Op. 37 and No. 2, Op. 39, Variations concertante sur une mélodie suisse, Op. 20.

Description: No less than Théophile Gautier wrote admiringly of the First Sonata from 1848: ‘an excellent addition to her catalogue of works, and written, like most of them, in an austere classical style reminiscent of the great masters.’ It was Joseph Joachim, no less, who gave the Second Sonata’s premiere in March 1850 at the Salle Érard in Paris. The sonata opens with a distinct echo of Beethoven’s Spring Sonata, and the opera buffa spirit of Mozart hovers over the finale, but the elfin dance of the Scherzo is entirely Farrenc’s own, characteristic inspiration. The Variations Concertantes (1835) on a popular Swiss melody have more of the perfume of the salon: a work of light and easy charm, written to display the prowess of any soloist. Daniele Orlando (violin), Linda Di Carlo (piano).