Violinist Chiara Banchini plays solo works by the late-Baroque composer Giuseppe Tartini, and is then joined, oddly enough, by soprano Patrizia Bovi with various arie del Tasso. I picked this up on the good reputation that Banchini already had with her Bonporti set, and her Tartini Concertos with her Ensemble 415. This is is mostly solo violin music, alongside a few songs that seem to pre-date the violin works. Despite their distance in age, the juxtaposition isn't terribly indecent. Tartini takes some rather oriental twists from time to time, which adds color to his writing. The arias likewise have a foreign sound that enhances Tartini's harmonic forays. But I could have done just as well without the singing. A close recording and miking is used on Banchini's violin alongside a generously wet acoustic. Banchini's sound is rustic, with soft-tensioned gut strings on her violin. Sometimes digging into lower notes, the sound booms from her instrument, blooming in the recording space. This is music that would sound rustic no matter the performer, the writing is such that the figures require dexterity and a variety of techniques, from pizzicato to multiple stopping, with far more chromaticisms than your average baroque violinist-composer has been known to inject. If you like his more famous Devil's Trill Sonata, you will likely also admire this collection. Tartini's music is less measured than my favorite Bach. Because of that, I'm not sure all the works here work as a complete album. But sample from it often, and you'll enjoy the interpretations for sure.
I love music.
I write about the music I like and have purchased for the benefit of better understanding it and sharing my preferences with others.