Cedille Releases Rachel Barton Pine's 'Corelli Violin Sonatas, Op. 5,' September 13

Violinist Rachel Barton Pine, acclaimed for her fluency across genres — from essential Renaissance masterworks and repertoire from the Classical and Romantic periods to heavy metal-influenced contemporary pieces — turns to the Violin Sonatas, Op. 5 of the Italian Baroque composer Arcangelo Corelli for her latest recording, available Friday, September 13 on Cedille Records. Joining Pine are three Baroque specialists: keyboard player David Schrader, cellist John Mark Rozendaal, and guitarist Brandon Acker. Together, the ensemble offers thoughtful, historically informed performances of these foundational sonatas. 

 

Corelli's 12 Violin Sonatas, Op. 5 were published in 1700; all feature exceptionally difficult techniques for the violin soloist and are important precursors of both sonata and concerto forms. Mindful of the era's flexible spirit, Pine and her colleagues use a variety of period instruments throughout the recording to capture the expressive nuances of Corelli's music. Schrader alternates between organ and harpsichord, Rozendaal between violoncello and viola da gamba, Acker between theorbo, archlute, and Baroque guitar, and Pine performs the final sonata's legendary “Follia” variations on an original-condition Gagliano viola d'amore, made from the same tree as her original-condition Gagliano violin.

 

Inspired by musicologist and Baroque violinist Christoph Riedo's article “How Might Arcangelo Corelli Have Played the Violin?” published in Music in Art in 2014, Pine held the violin against her chest, rather than on her collarbone as today's Baroque violinists typically perform. Citing evidence from engravings, drawings, and written descriptions, Riedo argues that Corelli held the violin against his chest. The slightly different use of the left hand resulted in subtle changes to tempos and timing and the different relationship to gravity of the bowing arm created a noticeably different sound. The approach led to a difference in tone compared to that of Pine's 2007 recording of Corelli's third sonata with Trio Settecento, also featuring John Mark Rozendaal and David Schrader. Additionally, Pine improvised her ornaments during the recording sessions using a historically informed approach.

 

Rachel Barton Pine, “a most accomplished Baroque violinist, fully the equal of the foremost specialists” (Gramophone), has studied period performance extensively and often performs on viola d'amore, medieval rebec, and Renaissance violin. Pine regularly gives single evening performances of Bach's six Sonatas and Partitas, the 24 Paganini Caprices, and the complete Brahms Sonatas. She has performed as soloist with Apollo's Fire, the Seattle and Indianapolis Baroque Orchestras, Baroque Band, and Ars Antigua, and has performed concertos under Baroque specialists Nicholas McGegan, Jeannette Sorrell, and Frans Brüggen. She frequently plays and records with Schrader and Rozendaal as Trio Settecento and with harpsichordist Jory Vinikour. Two of Trio Settecento's most notable Cedille recordings are Veracnini's Complete Sonate Accademiche for Violin and Continuo, and Grand Tour, a collection of four albums taking listeners on a country-by-country tour of the European Baroque.

 

Corelli Violin Sonatas, Op. 5 is Pine's 24th recording for Cedille Records. Some of her latest albums on the label feature violin concertos by Black composers of the 18th-20th centuries, Shostakovich, and contemporary composers Earl Maneein and Malek Jandali.

ABOUT RACHEL BARTON PINE

In both art and life, violinist Rachel Barton Pine has an extraordinary ability to connect with people. Celebrated as a leading interpreter of classical works, her performances combine her innate gift for emotional communication and her scholarly fascination with historical research. She plays with passion and conviction across an extensive repertoire. Audiences are thrilled by her dazzling technique, lustrous tone, and infectious joy in music-making.

Pine has appeared as a soloist with many of the world's most prestigious ensembles including the Chicago, Montreal, Vienna, and Baltimore Symphonies; the Philadelphia Orchestra; the Royal Philharmonic, the Mozarteum, Scottish, and Israel Chamber Orchestras; and the Netherlands Radio Kamer Filharmonie. She has worked with such renowned conductors as Charles Dutoit, Zubin Mehta, Erich Leinsdorf, Neeme Järvi, John Nelson, and Marin Alsop. For more about Rachel Barton Pine, please visit rachelbartonpine.com.

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