Post Description

Produced by Philip Hobbs


Baroque Instrumental category finalist 

2009 Classic FM Gramophone Awards 
  

Sophie Gent violin (violin 1: Sonatas 1, 3, 4, 5 & 9)
Matthew Truscott violin (violin 1: Sonatas 2, 6, 7, 8 & 10)
Jonathan Manson bass viol
Matthew Halls harpsichord/organ 

Recorded 3rd - 6th June 2008 in St Martin's Church, East Woodhay, Berkshire, UK
Recorded and produced by Philip Hobbs
Post-production by Julia Thomas, Finesplice UK
Keyboard technician : Edmund Pickering 
Pitch : A = 415 Hz / Temperament : modified 1/5th-comma meantone
Design and cover photography by John Haxby 

Henry Purcell: Ten Sonatas in Four Parts 

The two sets of sonatas composed by Henry Purcell provide a fascinating insight into the cosmopolitan and often conflicting stylistic tastes of English musicians in the latter part of the seventeenth century. Whilst musical tastes at court still leant very much towards the French models, with a particular penchant for ‘theatricall musick' and the ‘French air in song', English tastes at large were being challenged by the arrival on the London scene of several notable Italian violin virtuosi. This influx of Italian influences exposed the art of solo violin virtuosity to an astonished and - at times - altogether bemused English audience of connoisseurs and amateurs. On the one hand there were conservatives such as Thomas Mace, whose nostalgic fondness for the traditional string band repertoire led to a feeling of general uneasiness towards the new fashions of soloistic violin playing. Despite his public moanings about the latest assaults on his musical ear and his none-too-affectionate references to ‘Scoulding Violins' there were others, such as Roger North, who were altogether more enthusiastic about the arrival of the new Italian style. In marked contrast to Mace, he openly praised the talents of the latest Italian import, Nicolas Matteis, describing him as an "excellent musician" with a "singular" and "surprising" manner - judging the Italian virtuoso to have been second only to the great Arcangelo Corelli. Not surprising then that we discover North to have been one of ‘that company which introduc't the Itallian composed entertainments of musick which they call Sonnata's'. Of greater interest though is the fact that Henry Purcell himself participated in such musical gatherings in the company of these English musical Italophiles. His own remarks in the preface to the 1683 set of sonatas affirm a certain desire to promote the novelties of the Italian style. 

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