# Giussepe Tartini



## jurianbai

No love for Giussepe "the Devil" Tartini ?

Famous violinist of the late Baroque from Italy (Venetia), creator of the Devil's Trill Sonata, which I can't heard anything sound devilish overthere.

Got only his violin's concerto (beside the sonata), and plan to collect some more. Anyone listen to this guy? At least a late Baroque composer who passed the era of Bach, Handel,Vivaldi and Telemann, what do you think his works significancy to classical music?

Couldn't find any opera by him, unlikely for an Italian composer, surprisingly (and luckily for me because the thread will not turn into opera orientated talk :devil .

Maybe a composer with the best side story , wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giuseppe_Tartini


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## Ukko

It's hard to define Tartini's music as Baroque. It seems unique to me. A sonata you didn't mention is the "Abbondanza' (sp?). Played by Oistrakh, it is even more amazing than the "Devil's Trill".


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## HarpsichordConcerto

I have Andrew Manze (baroque violin) doing wonders with _The Devil's Sonata_ (Harmonia Mundi label). Also some of his violin concertos.

His music is not quite like his peers. Sometimes the solo violin works don't even sound Baroque, let alone Italian Baroque.


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## johnnyx

I very much enjoy music by Tartini and agree that he was far ahead of his time. Any of the 15 volumes of Tartini violin concertos performed by L'Arte Dell'Arco are wonderful and can be found here:
http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/tartini.php


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## jurianbai

His less Baroque sound perhaps due to his musical background, I read in most biography his music is not for nobles. He seems to made fame mainly as profesional violinist. Listen to his slow movement of violin concerto you will rarely guess it is a Baroq piece.

I only got 1 CD of that 25 violin concerto CD by L'Arte Dell'Arco and one CD by Laszlo Paulik.


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## hocket

I particularly like the recordings by Elizabeth Wallfisch.


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## jurianbai

list of Tartini's violin concerto in this link.


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## Dowd

I'm considering diving into the L'Arte Dell'Arco volumes, as I have many of Tartini's other recordings (Wallfisch, Paulik, Daskalakis, Tassev...) Any suggestions out there for volume #s to start with? Or ones to avoid?


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## Vaneyes

Dowd said:


> I'm considering diving into the L'Arte Dell'Arco volumes, as I have many of Tartini's other recordings (Wallfisch, Paulik, Daskalakis, Tassev...) Any suggestions out there for volume #s to start with? Or ones to avoid?


I've been less than thrilled with Dynamic label's Tartini. I find L'Arte Dell' Arco playing so-so, and the sound grating. Tartini deserves better.

The four CDs I currently have (wish I had more)....

Ughi/Scimone (Erato)
Nikolitch/Beek (Regis)
Nikolitch/Beek (Olympia Vol. 2)
Daskalakis/Muller-Bruhl(Naxos)


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## Dowd

Vaneyes said:


> I've been less than thrilled with Dynamic label's Tartini. I find L'Arte Dell' Arco playing so-so, and the sound grating. Tartini deserves better.
> 
> The four CDs I currently have (wish I had more)....
> 
> Ughi/Scimone (Erato)
> Nikolitch/Beek (Regis)
> Nikolitch/Beek (Olympia Vol. 2)
> Daskalakis/Muller-Bruhl(Naxos)


I appreciate the feedback. You've got me interested in those titles you listed. Perhaps I'll look into those before the L'Arte Dell'Arco recordings. For the record I own:

Daskalakis/Muller-Bruhl (Naxos)
Paulik/Orfeo Orchestra (Hungaroton) - Recording is quite sweeping, perhaps a bit syrupy, but quite nice
Wallfisch/Raglan Baroque (Helios) - An odd selection of compositions but well done
Tassev (classicalmusic.com) - Solo, grating violin, but passionate and frenzied at the same time

Thanks Vaneyes!


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## StlukesguildOhio

I quite like Tartini. I got into him a couple of years ago as I was fleshing out my Baroque collection. I especially admire the Manze recording:










But also like the Elizabeth Wallfisch disc which is very fine as well:










Anne Sophie-Mutter and David Oistrakh perform the Devil's Trill on other discs I have:



















After Manze and Wallfisch I cannot recommend this disc (from Zig-Zag Territories) highly enough!










The disc pairs vocal settings from Tartini's time of poems which had served as inspiration to Tartini's work with his violin sonatas:

_Anyone can set out to perform and record a set of compositions by a given composer. But to truly take the time to bring listeners into the world of both composer and performer, and to engage the listener with as many senses as possible, makes for a truly exceptional recording. Such is the case with this album of Tartini's sonatas for solo violin with violinist Chiara Banchini and soprano Patrizia Bovi. Tartini made a habit of writing excerpts from poetry in the margins of his scores, works he presumably read before writing to gain inspiration. This extremely well-thought-out and beautifully assembled album includes not only the text of the excerpts, but vocal settings of them as well as significant paintings to accompany each of them. Both Banchini and Bovi deliver exceptionally refined performances throughout the album. Bovi's voice is pure, elegant, and perfectly suited for music of this time. Banchini's tone on the Baroque violin is, appropriately, every bit as vocal and singing as the soprano arias. Taken all together, this album is much more than an ordinary CD that is popped in the player and listened to from beginning to end, but rather, an all-encompassing experience that truly transports listeners to another place and time. Unconditionally recommended._

from AllMusic.com


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## Dowd

> After Manze and Wallfisch I cannot recommend this disc (from Zig-Zag Territories) highly enough!


I've had this one on my Amazon wishlist for awhile... but have no idea what to expect. Haven't been able to find any samples online. Thanks for the recommendation, now you've got me curious again.


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## StlukesguildOhio

You can find samples online at the AllMusic.com site here:

http://www.allmusic.com/album/giuseppe-tartini-sonate-a-violino-solo-aria-del-tasso-w173827


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## Blake

Tartini is incredible. The lack of recognition is also incredible. 

Something about his violin playing hits so deep.


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## millionrainbows

Tartini was a major influence in violin playing.









The folklore of the "Devil's violin", classically exemplified by a similar story told of Niccolò Paganini, is widespread; it is an instance of the "Deal with the Devil". Modern variants are Roland Bowman's The Devil's Violin and the country song The Devil Went Down To Georgia; the PBS segment on violin in its series "Art" was titled "Art of violin: the devil's instrument".


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## Ingélou

Ukko said:


> It's hard to define Tartini's music as Baroque. It seems unique to me. A sonata you didn't mention is the "Abbondanza' (sp?). Played by Oistrakh, it is even more amazing than the "Devil's Trill".


Good to know about it and I've listened to it and think it's gorgeous - but it's not 'even more amazing' than the Devil's Trill. How could it be?!?


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## Ingélou

millionrainbows said:


> Tartini was a major influence in violin playing.
> 
> View attachment 122841
> 
> 
> The folklore of the "Devil's violin", classically exemplified by a similar story told of Niccolò Paganini, is widespread; it is an instance of the "Deal with the Devil". Modern variants are Roland Bowman's The Devil's Violin and the country song The Devil Went Down To Georgia; the PBS segment on violin in its series "Art" was titled "Art of violin: the devil's instrument".


These legends are fascinating! I think the violin is reckoned to be the devil's instrument because its voice is so seductive.


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## Taplow

I have visited Tartini's monument in the town square of Piran (present-day Slovenia). Well worth the trip if you're in the area.

The Cambridge Companion to the Violin has a nice treatise on the development and history of performance practice, but as with most works of its kind has more on Paganini than Tartini in this area.


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## Ingélou

I love his music - Tartini is not tart but he is bracing!

It's very interesting to read about his life - he dedicated himself to the violin only in his twenties after escaping to a Franciscan priory to avoid being prosecuted for 'abduction' after he married a cardinal's 'favourite'. After hearing Veracini play, he shut himself up to improve his technique, practising for hours.

And I suppose that's why his music sounds different from 'other' baroque - it's not just the dates, but because his music is so thoroughly violinish - the double stops in particular add a lot of intensity to his concertos. That's also why I take to Tartini - because I can hear the music being so vitally and fluidly structured to the violin. In his sonatas, I hear him taking what must be folk themes and working beautiful violinish variations on them.

The adjectives I'd choose to describe Tartini's music - fresh, vital, thrilling, melodic, lyrical, startling, intense.

This link from Hyperion calls his style 'open and luminous' -
There is a very good article at the end analysing Tartini's composition practices:
https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/d...fvzZ-4-KD31Lr8

Violin Concertos, Volume 9 - wonderful music.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gM6d...MSnpOiwpECttAM

Violin Sonatas:
- utterly compelling; truly a singing voice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9U9...mU0aTpCfmpZKo8

Giuseppe Tartini Sonatas for Violin, Violoncello and Harpsichord 2/2: beautifully arranged and played; music which moves me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHAb...w9XksMgy9Q2Osc


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## RICK RIEKERT

His music could also be meltingly lyrical. If one listens, for example, to the adagio from his Sinfonia Pastorale it's easy to understand how such music could make "ice-cold princes and ladies of the court weep", as one contemporary put it.-


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## Rogerx

My absolute favorite. :angel:


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