Pizzetti. Castelnuovo-tedesco. Violin Sonatas. Sha

Hagai Shaham (violin), Arnon Erez (piano)

Composed by: Pizzetti: Violin Sonata; Castelnuovo-Tedesco: Violin Sonata

Hagai Shaham and Arnon Erez continue their exploration of the early twentieth-century violin repertoire, turning this time to Italy. Pizzetti was at the height of his fame at a time when Italian music was all the rage; his pupil Castelnuovo-Tedesco eventually fled Italian anti-Semitism to embark on a successful career in Hollywood. Included here are Pizzetti’s impressive Violin Sonata and his Tre canti. Originally for cello and piano, The Tre canti are heard here in a transcription for violin by the composer. Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Sonata quasi una fantasia was composed in 1929, with a dedication to the Hungarian violinist Adila Fachiri. The Tre vocalizzi were originally written in 1928 for voice and piano. They were subsequently arranged for violin and piano by Mario Corti, who saw the potential in these pieces for transcriptions that used violin techniques to imaginative effect, with extensive use of double-stopping and harmonics, as well as a greatly expanded compass, using octave transpositions to exploit the instrument’s entire range.

Price: $22.98