Sonate Accademiche - An Anthology

Florentine, born Francesco Maria Veracini (1690-1786), was considered one of the greatest violin virtuosos of his day. Periods of residence in London, Düsseldorf, Venice, and Dresden brought the eccentric musician international fame. Amongst his extensive output, his Sonate Accademiche Op. 2 (London/Florence 1744) for violin and basso continuo are the best known today. The character of the Sonate Accademiche is defined by a peculiar combination of the intellectual, the virtuosic, and the highly expressive. Despite the technically demanding writing for the violin, Veracini’s masterfully idiomatic approach to his own instrument means the virtuosity flows with a natural ease and playfulness. The Sonate Accademiche collection is vast in terms of its length and variety. The sonatas do not adhere to the standard forms of the day, such as the Italian sonata da camera or sonata da chiesa. Veracini himself in his own preface: "... two, or even three movements, chosen at one’s own discretion, are sufficient to form a sonata of appropriate length." Eva Saladin has applied Veracini’s approach to the entire book, which allows her to choose contrasting parts of sonatas and to highlight the most interesting features of the music by combining individual movements into a flowing programme with connecting tonalities and a clear dramaturgy.