Vieuxtemps: Music for Violin & Piano Pierluigi Camicia & Carmelo Andriani

• Henry Vieuxtemps (1820 - 1881): Violin Sonata in D Major, Op. 12:
• 1 Violin Sonata in D Major, Op. 12: I. Allegro assai 15:40
• 2 Violin Sonata in D Major, Op. 12: II. Scherzo. Allegro vivace-trio 06:52
• 3 Violin Sonata in D Major, Op. 12: III. Largo non troppo 11:01
• 4 Violin Sonata in D Major, Op. 12: IV. Rondo. Allegro gioioso 09:28
• 3 Romances sans paroles, Op. 7:
• 5 3 Romances sans paroles, Op. 7: I. Chant d'amour 03:21
• 6 3 Romances sans paroles, Op. 7: II. Désespoir 03:01
• 7 3 Romances sans paroles, Op. 7: III. Souvenir 02:57
• 6 Morceaux de salon, Op. 22:
• 8 6 Morceaux de salon, Op. 22: III. Rêverie 07:09
• 3 Feuilles d'album, Op. 40:
• 9 3 Feuilles d'album, Op. 40: I. Romance 04:39
• 10 3 Feuilles d'album, Op. 40: II. Regrets 05:25
• 6 Morceaux de salon, Op. 22:
• 11 6 Morceaux de salon, Op. 22: V. Tarantelle 05:33
• Total Runtime 01:15:06

Info for Vieuxtemps: Music for Violin & Piano

The Belgian violinist and composer Henry Vieuxtemps (1820-1881) was one of the great 19th-century virtuosos in the tradition of Paganini, but his music does not belong in the showpiece category, being distinguished more by its attractive lyricism. Vieuxtemps did more than anyone to revive the fortunes of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto after decades of neglect, and his own concertos for the instrument share the patient, majestic character of that work rather than Paganini's fiendish wizardry.

It seems typical of Vieuxtemps that the viola was his preferred position in a string quartet, and he wrote a fine sonata for the instrument which is now much better known and more frequently recorded than the earlier and undeservedly neglected Violin Sonata which Carmelo Andriani presents here to open his attractive recital. The Sonata’s scherzo is a fine example of the unpretentious charm and grace which Vieuxtemps cultivated in his music, while the following Largo opens out from its hymn-like theme towards a climax of quasi-religious intensity and radiance. There is a notable absence of conventionally violinistic fireworks to the finale; this new recording restores to the catalogue a substantial contribution to the violin-sonata literature.

Carmelo Andriani has dedicated the rest of the album to shorter pieces in a salon style. The trio of Romances sans paroles opens with a lovely Chant d’amour, and closes with a Souvenir of Mendelssohnian grace and lightness. The third of 6 Morceaux de salon Op.22 (1846) is an Adagio entitled Rêverie which builds to a passionate climax, and the album closes out in flamboyant style with the fifth piece in the set, a whirling Tarantella. In between, Carmelo Adriani treats us to the first two of the three Feuilles d’Album Op.40: a soulful Romance followed by the yearning melody of Regrets.

Born in Bari, Carmelo Adriani enjoys an international career as a soloist, chamber musician and teacher. This is his second album for Brilliant Classics, after a critically acclaimed debut of the violin music by Michele Esposito (95102).

Henry François Joseph Vieuxtemps was aged 4 when he started the violin with his father, a violin-maker and amateur violinist. He gave his first public performance at the age of 6 and his talent attracted the attention of Charles Auguste de Bériot, who brought him to Paris, where in 1829 he made his début. Robert Schumann compared him to Paganini. The famous Italian virtuoso was strongly impressed by the violinist’s performance in London in 1834. In turn, Paganini’s supernatural technique would remain a strong influence and inspiration for Vieuxtemps. Meanwhile he became an idol in Russia where he spent five years from 1846 till 1851. He was Musician at the court of Tzar Nicholas I, Violin teacher and soloist at the Imperial Theatre, and founder of the School of Violin at St. Petersburg Conservatory, contributing to the founding of a “Russian Violin School”. Back in his native Belgium he dedicated his life to teaching at the Brussels Conservatory, where he counted Eugène Ysaÿe among his pupils.

This new recording contains the substantial (over 40 minutes!) Violin Sonata Op.12, as well as Morceaux de Salon and Romances Sans Paroles.

Italian violinists Carmelo Andriani already successfully recorded for Brilliant Classics works by Michele Esposito. Pianist Pierluigi Camicia is a highly respected soloist and chamber music player, who collaborated with Ruggiero Ricci, Félix Ayo and the Quartetto di Cremona.

Carmelo Andriani, violin
Pierluigi Camicia, piano

Pierluigi Camicia
He began his concert career in the wake of awards in National Competitions (Treviso) and internationally prestigious, (Busoni, Ciani, Chopin) and with the admiration and esteem of artists such as Rostropovitch, Ferrara, Ciccolini. His recitals in Europe (Germany, Poland and Switzerland) and in the United States of America (Salt Lake, Cleveland, Akron, Los Angeles, Fresno, etc) always have wide acclaim from critics and audiences. Particular attention is paid to unusual repertoires, in collaboration also with renowned soloists and conductors (Ferro, Friedman, Haronovitch, Biscardi, Gusella) and with European and American orchestras; and together with Michael Flaksman, Ruggiero Ricci, Angelo Persichilli, Felix Ayo and Nina Beilina, chamber music becomes an occasion for multifaceted and fascinating musical proposals. He collaborates with prestigious singers such as Ricciarelli, Devia, Colaianni in liederistic and lyric recitals and often with vocalists such as Antonella Ruggiero and Mariella Nava. Holder of a chair at the Piccinni National Conservatory of Bari since 1973, called by the then Director Nino Rota, Pierluigi Camicia is the master of a group of talents already in the limelight of international concertism. He has recorded music by Chopin, Giuliani, Rota, Grieg, Brahms, Franck, Faurè and Van Westerhout for Farelive, Abegg and Bongiovanni. He was Artistic Director of the Association AUDITORIUM of Castellana Grotte since its foundation, in 1974, Association that produces and organizes chamber and symphonic concerts and operas, also in the form of Teatrodanza, operine for boys, represented in many Italian theaters (Belli a Spoleto, Ragusa, Syracuse, Catania). In 2002 and 2003 artistically directed the “Talos Jazz Festival” in Ruvo di Puglia, one of the most important Italian Jazz Festivals, hosting artists such as Giorgio Gaslini, Uri Caine, John Taylor and other famous Italian and foreign performers. Since 2003 he is Artistic Director of the Camerata Musicale Salentina of Lecce, the most important Salento Music Association. He holds Masterclasses of piano and chamber music for Universities in USA (BWYU – Provo – UTAH, CSUF – Fresno – CALIFORNIA, WESLEYAN COLLEGE – Macon – GEORGIA, etc.) and in Hochschule in Germany, France, Croatia, Poland. He has played for important Theaters, Orchestras and Concert Associations in Italy and abroad, including La Scala in Milan, Carnegie Hall in New York, Oriental Art Center in Shanghai, Teatro Verdi in Trieste, L’Ente Lirico Sinfonico in Cagliari, the Bellini of Catania, La Fenice of Venice, the Petruzzelli Theater in Bari, and regularly in Germany, Spain, France, Poland. In 2000 he received the “NELO BRENI” Music Award. In 2007 he was appointed by the Minister for the University, “for merited fame” Director of the Tito Schipa Conservatory of Lecce. (google translate form original Italian artist bio)

Booklet for Vieuxtemps: Music for Violin & Piano