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COMPLETE WORKS FOR VIOLIN & PIANO

Tchaikovsky encouraged Georgy L'vovich Catoire to pursue a musical career, remarking that he was "gifted with a powerful creative talent". Catoire's passion for Wagner was intense and this infused his music with rich chromatic harmonies and sweeping melodies. The Violin Sonata No. 1 in B Minor, Op. 15 is a substantial and compelling piece, full of grandeur and constantly evolving rhythms.

STRING QUARTETS NOS. 1 & 2

Brahm's two String Quartets, Op. 51 were the first he published but, completed in his 40th year, are very much mature masterpieces. He wasy very conscious of the tradition that lay behind the quartet genre, and the spirits of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert ensured that he took the greatest of care when preparing his own quartets. Each perfectly proportioned movement of these works creates its own unique expressive narrative, exploring bitter-sweet tonalities and thematic treatment ranging from tender lyricism to dramatic intensity.

STABAT MATER (1832 VERSION) & GIOVANNA D'ARCO

Rossini's Stabat Mater is one of the staples of the sacred music repertoire but had a complicated history. Rossini completed six pieces, Tadolini seven. Tadolini's pieces now only exist as piano reductions but conductor Antonino Fogliani has orchestrated them to allow listeners to hear the original work for the first time since 1833. Marco Tarelli's 2009 orchestration of Giovanna d'Arco (Joan of Arc), a cantata for solo voice, is also heard on this first recording.