Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari - Violin Sonatas (Emmanuele Baldini; Luca Delle Donne)

Information

Composer: Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari

• (01) Violin Sonata No. 1 in G minor, Op. 1
• (04) Violin Sonata No. 2 in A minor, Op. 10
• (07) Violin Sonata No. 3 in E major, Op. 27

Emmanuele Baldini, violin

Luca Delle Donne, piano

Date: 2021

Label: Naxos

https://www.naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=8.574297

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Review

Although hardly remembered for chamber music, Wolf-Ferrari essayed more than a dozen works in the genre at either end of a five-decade composing career. His three violin sonatas fairly delineate the extent of an output that is otherwise dominated by works for the stage.

As his first published work, the First Sonata (1895) exudes youthful resolve – whether in the agitated lyricism of its opening Allegro, the heartfelt eloquence of its central slow movement or the bracing impetus of its finale. Despite its relative proximity, the Second Sonata (1901) is certainly a more individual statement – its two, vividly contrasted movements comprising a headstrong yet methodical Appassionato, then a ‘recitative and aria’ with its improvisatory unfolding towards a serene close. The Third Sonata (1943) is nevertheless the real find here – the poised and flexible idiom of its composer’s maturity as evident with the fluid dialogue of its opening Allegro as in the winsome elegance of its Intermezzo then expressive dexterity of its Scherzo, before the finale sees this engagingly equivocal work through to a resolute close.

Music that falls so naturally and unaffectedly on the ear can easily seem inconsequential in performance but there is no risk of that here, owing to the keen while never forced advocacy of Emmanuele Baldini and Luca Delle Donne, their fastidious and considered interpretations probing more deeply than those by Davide Alogna and Costantino Catena (Brilliant Classics), heard in sound of greater richness and perspective. Particularly the latter two of these sonatas would be worthy additions to the repertoire of any aspiring violinist, as these committed readings make plain.

-- Richard Whitehouse, Gramophone

More reviews:
https://artmusiclounge.wordpress.com/2021/04/16/wolf-ferraris-violin-sonatas/

https://www.pizzicato.lu/die-violinsonaten-als-vertreter-der-kammermusik-des-ermanno-wolf-ferrari/

https://www.naxos.com/Review/Detail/?catalogueid=8.574297&languageid=EN

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Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari (January 12, 1876 – January 21, 1948) was an Italian composer and teacher. He is best known for his comic operas such as Il segreto di Susanna (1909). As well as his operas, Wolf-Ferrari wrote a number of instrumental works, mainly at the very beginning and very end of his career. He also wrote Idillio-concertino (essentially a chamber symphony), various pieces of chamber music. Wolf-Ferrari's work is not performed very widely although he is generally thought of as probably the finest writer of Italian comic opera of his time. His works often recall the opera buffa of the 18th century.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ermanno_Wolf-Ferrari

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Emmanuele Baldini (born 29 December 1971 in Trieste) is an Italian violinist and conductor. He studied with Bruno Polli in Trieste, Corrado Romano in the Geneva's Conservatory, and with Ruggiero Ricci at the Salzburg's Mozarteum. Much later, he also studied conducting with Frank Shipway and Isaac Karabtchevsky. Baldini was the winner of several international competitions, and has performed as a soloist throughout Italy as well as concert halls of Europe, Japan, Australia, the US and above all in Brazil, where he has been living since 2005. He is currently a concertmaster at São Paulo State Symphonic Orchestra.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmanuele_Baldini

https://emmanuelebaldini.com/

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Luca Delle Donne is an Italian pianist.

http://www.lucadelledonne.com/

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