Giuseppe Tartini: Vertigo (The Last Violin Sonatas) Duo Tartini

• Giuseppe Tartini (1692 - 1770): Sonata for violin and cello in A Minor, B.G a8:
• 1 Sonata for violin and cello in A Minor, B.G a8: I. Grave 05:02
• 2 Sonata for violin and cello in A Minor, B.G a8: II. Allegro 03:04
• 3 Sonata for violin and cello in A Minor, B.G a8: III. Siciliana grave 02:42
• 4 Sonata for violin and cello in A Minor, B.G a8: IV. Allegro 03:00
• 5 Sonata for violin and cello in A Minor, B.G a8: V. Allegro assai con 6 variazioni 04:09
• Sonata for violin and cello in A Major, B.G A4:
• 6 Sonata for violin and cello in A Major, B.G A4: I. Allegro 04:43
• 7 Sonata for violin and cello in A Major, B.G A4: II. Andante 04:32
• 8 Sonata for violin and cello in A Major, B.G A4: III. Allegro # 03:02
• 9 Sonata for violin and cello in A Major, B.G A4: IV. Minuet 01:13
• Sonata for violin and cello in D Major, B.G D19:
• 10 Sonata for violin and cello in D Major, B.G D19: I. (Recitativo) 02:52
• 11 Sonata for violin and cello in D Major, B.G D19: II. Allegro 03:26
• 12 Sonata for violin and cello in D Major, B.G D19: III. Andante 03:55
• 13 Sonata for violin and cello in D Major, B.G D19: IV. Allegro # 03:20
• Sonata for violin and cello in D Minor, B.G d5:
• 14 Sonata for violin and cello in D Minor, B.G d5: I. Larghetto 04:14
• 15 Sonata for violin and cello in D Minor, B.G d5: II. (Allegro) 03:31
• 16 Sonata for violin and cello in D Minor, B.G d5: III. Presto 02:24
• 17 Sonata for violin and cello in D Minor, B.G d5: IV. Minuet con 2 variazioni 02:34
• 18 Sonata for violin and cello in D Minor, B.G d5: V. Gavotta allegro con 5 variazioni 05:16
• Sonata for violin and cello in D Major, B.G D9:
• 19 Sonata for violin and cello in D Major, B.G D9: I. Andante 03:41
• 20 Sonata for violin and cello in D Major, B.G D9: II. Allegro 03:39
• 21 Sonata for violin and cello in D Major, B.G D9: III. Allegro assai 02:13
• 22 Sonata for violin and cello in D Major, B.G D9: IV. Cantabile 02:42
• 23 Sonata for violin and cello in D Major, B.G D9: V. Minuet con 6 variazioni 04:17
• Total Runtime 01:19:31

Info for Giuseppe Tartini: Vertigo (The Last Violin Sonatas)

It is the music of this master that inspires noble feelings. Original in everything, his only laws are those of his genius. The sublime quality of his works means that all men consider him able to feel the truth. He has been able to rid music of its superficiality in order to serve its nature. He is known throughout Europe, yet cherished by few, just as few people are happy enough to distinguish the noise from feeling and expression. Such was the opinion, in 1752, of a thoughtful observer of Tartini.

His assertion is readily transposable to our period, when the name of Giuseppe Tartini resonates with familiarity in the ears of music-lovers, whereas his music remains mysteriously little-known and underestimated. The fault probably lies with the inevitable Devil’s Trill, its celebrity, as deserved as it is overworked, obscuring a tremendous output of more than 130 sonatas.

In rendering homage to the master of Padua on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of his death, the choice proved to be delicate given the abundance of music of constant and exceptional quality. David Plantier and Annabelle Luis have selected the 5 unpublished sonatas in this programme from Manuscript 9796, preserved in the Bibliothèque nationale de France, and taken from the Italian city in 1796 by Napoleon’s army as a prize of war.

Four of these date from the latter years of Tartini. They all have in common an extreme virtuosity necessary for performance, yet also the necessity of a perfect mastery of the instrument for producing a natural, musical version, the reflection of the composer’s typical cantabile. David Plantier is without question the baroque violinist most suited for this mission, having been a passionate defender of Tartini and his music for years.

Giuseppe Tartini often performed in duets with his cellist friend the abbé Vandini. The destiny of these two formidable musicians was indivisible, and it is this historic duet that the Duo Tartini aims to bring back to life; the violin and the cello give this richly diverse music a setting of velvet tones, they revitalise the beauty and modernity within so as to touch the hearts of contemporary listeners.

David Plantier, baroque violin
Annabelle Luis, cello

David Plantier
began learning how to play the violin at age five. Following modern violin studies at the Geneva Conservatory, he devoted himself to the baroque violin at the Schola Cantorum in Basel, in Chiara Banchini’s class. There he also discovered his passion for musical research. He is today a much in demand first violin and soloist with the most celebrated baroque conductors, and has worked with René Jacobs, Chiara Banchini and Martin Gester. Today he is first violin with Concert d’Astrée directed by Emmanuelle Haïm and regularly collaborates with Jordi Savall’s Concerts des nations, and the Café Zimmermann ensemble.

His interest for lesser known repertoires encouraged him to conduct research and start his own ensemble in 2004, Les Plaisirs du Parnasse. With the ensemble he recorded J.P. von Westhoff’s Sonates for violin and basso continuo, a record unanimously acclaimed by European critics. This in turn allowed the ensemble to perform in Europe and Japan’s biggest early music festivals. He teaches at the „Schola Cantorum“ Musik-Akademie in Basel.

Annabelle Luis
After graduating in Lyon with a diploma in modern cello and a musicology degree, Annabelle Luis turned to the baroque cello, obtaining her Diplôme d'Études Supérieures from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Lyon in 2006.

She plays regularly with the Concert Spirituel under the direction of Hervé Niquet, with Leonardo Garcia Alarcon's new Millenium Orchestra ensemble, and with the Concert d'Astrée directed by Emmanuelle Haim.

She plays continuo in various chamber music ensembles such as Stradivaria and Amarillis.

Annabelle has participated in numerous recordings, recently with the violinist David Plantier for his recording of Tartini Sonatas, and with Amarillis mixing different universes: jazz, contemporary, classical and baroque music.

Booklet for Giuseppe Tartini: Vertigo (The Last Violin Sonatas)