Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Sonata I In D Major
2. Sonata I In D Major
3. Sonata I In D Major
4. Sonata I In D Major
5. Sonata I In D Major
6. Sonata II In B-Flat Major
7. Sonata II In B-Flat Major
8. Sonata II In B-Flat Major
9. Sonata II In B-Flat Major
10. Sonata II In B-Flat Major
11. Sonata III In C Major
12. Sonata III In C Major
13. Sonata III In C Major
14. Sonata III In C Major
15. Sonata III In C Major
16. Sonata IV In F Major
17. Sonata IV In F Major
18. Sonata IV In F Major
19. Sonata IV In F Major
20. Sonata IV In F Major
21. Sonata V In G Minor
22. Sonata V In G Minor
23. Sonata V In G Minor
24. Sonata V In G Minor
25. Sonata V In G Minor
26. Sonata VI In A Major
27. Sonata VI In A Major
28. Sonata VI In A Major
29. Sonata VI In A Major
30. Sonata VI In A Major

Disc 2:

1. Sonata VII In D Minor
2. Sonata VII In D Minor
3. Sonata VII In D Minor
4. Sonata VII In D Minor
5. Sonata VIII In E Minor
6. Sonata VIII In E Minor
7. Sonata VIII In E Minor
8. Sonata VIII In E Minor
9. Sonata IX In A Major
10. Sonata IX In A Major
11. Sonata IX In A Major
12. Sonata IX In A Major
13. Sonata X In F Major
14. Sonata X In F Major
15. Sonata X In F Major
16. Sonata X In F Major
17. Sonata X In F Major
18. Sonata XI In E Major
19. Sonata XI In E Major
20. Sonata XI In E Major
21. Sonata XI In E Major
22. Sonata XI In E Major
23. Sonata XII In D Minor, 'Follia'

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #23646 in Music
• Released on: 2003-03-11
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Import
• Dimensions: .31 pounds

Amazon.com
Corelli's Op. 5 Violin Sonatas have always been admired by chamber music fans; there are a couple of good recordings of them already available. But this new one by Baroque specialist and virtuoso Andrew Manze and harpsichordist Richard Egarr presents the sonatas in such a bright, exciting, and improvisatory light that they seem brand new. During the composer's lifetime, these sonatas were widely played and tremendously influential; there's a good chance that it was assumed that virtuosi took what was written on the page as a starting point for embellishing and sheer showing off. Manze is breathtaking--fast, articulate, conscious of the genuinely good tunes some of these sonatas contain--and his variances from the written music are thrilling. Egarr knows how to embellish too, and he matches Manze every step of the way. If you're wondering if 131 minutes of only two instruments can keep your interest, don't worry. This will. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews

pure italian baroque
this is really fine music. corelli is the paragon of the "italian" style of baroque (at least until vivaldi caught bach's attention), and these sonatas are perhaps finer than the italianate sonatas by handel. there is marvelous poetry and variety in these pieces, brought forward by the spare instrumentation of violin, bass and harpsichord, and everything is wrapped in corelli's creamy, effortless, halcyon musical world.

my reservation is that manze at times takes these pieces with a raspy vigor that is better left for tartini. the "folias" variations in particular, while tremendous fun and inspiringly ornamented, omit that key (and historically correct) baroque attribute known as decorum. the equally virtuosic recordings by elizabeth wallfisch have the edge on that point.

by the way, if you enjoy this recording, i strongly urge you to get corelli's magnificent concerti grossi, a true pinnacle in the form and one of the great achievements of baroque music.

Captivating
I usually think of Corelli as nice "background music," pleasant, but without the emotional depth of Vivaldi, Bach or Handel. However, with this disc I find myself stopping and losing myself in the beautiful tones of Manze's baroque violin. The playing is superb and subtle, revealing these pieces as intimate and poetic. Harmonia Mundi's recording quality is excellent as well. Highly recommended. I can't wait to see what the venerable English Concert does under Manze's new leadership.

Music to delight the head--and heart
Confession: I have never loved these sonatas. Respected them, yes, of course; but with a polite detachment that their exclusively intellectual and technical achievements seemed to merit.

Well, this album changed all that. It's a masterly performance, effortlessly virtuosic, that shows forth the music in all its lapidary clarity. More than that, though: it is also luminously expressive, replete with moments of such unadorned and lyrical tenderness that the heart opens up, amazed.

For those who think they know this music no less than those who know they do not, Manze and Egarr's achievement is an exquisite revelation.