Part Violin

The fact that a violinist can also play the piano with virtuosity and artistic perfection suggests an extraordinary musical talent. Tomoko Mayeda's recording of Mozart's late Viennese violin sonatas has already shown that this is the case.

This 29CD set provides a superb introduction to this master of the Barock. He is often suffers in comparison to Bach, Handel and Vivaldi mainly because it is so difficult to know where to start with such a vast body of work. This Brilliant Classics box set makes the Telemann experience all the more enjoyable by making this selection and providing a wonderful window into the world of this great composer.

The Graun brothers, both of whom held leading positions in the Berlin royal ensemble, were regarded as ‘fiery instrumental composers’ and numbered among the most famous musicians of their time. The elegant gestures, the sensitive tone, and the colloquial interaction of the musicians are remarkable, and the decision to employ a fortepiano instead of a harpsichord as the continuo instrument underscores the progressive element in these compositions.

Born in Chambéry in 1976, Renaud Capuçon studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris with Gérard Poulet and Veda Reynolds. He was awarded first prize for chamber music in 1992 and first prize for violin with a special distinction from the jury in 1993. In 1995 he won the Prize of the Berlin Academy of Arts. Then he studied with Thomas Brandis in Berlin, and later with Isaac Stern. Invited by Claudio Abbado in 1997, he continued his musical experiences as konzertmeister of the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester during three summers with Pierre Boulez, Seiji Ozawa, Daniel Barenboim, Franz Welser-Moest and of course Claudio Abbado. In 2000 he was nominated “Rising Star” and “New talent of the Year” (French Victoires de la Musique), in 2005 “Soliste instrumental de l’année”, also by the French Victoires de la Musique, and in 2006 “Prix Georges Enesco” (Sacem).