Rossini String Sonatas

[richardfinegold]

We were listening to a station from Venice this morning and there was some very fetching music for strings only. My wife was particularly entranced and I could only catch the name Rossini when the announcer spoke briefly. I'm suspecting that we were hearing his String Sonatas, which is music that I had never heard before. Unfortunately their website doesn't work when I try to access their schedule of recordings. Can anyone recommend a CD version?

[MickyD]

It depends if you want the orchestral versions or the more reduced (and authentic) chamber version. For the latter, I thoroughly recommend the now budget price version on Hyperion Helios, featuring members of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Give this a try, Richard:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4zFiWDJk3Q

[umslopogaas]

The 2010 Penguin Guide recommends the Academy of St Martins in the Field, recorded in 1966. I have this on the original two LPs and in my opinion, you cant go wrong with the ASMF. The CD is a Double Decca (ADD) 443 838-2(2).

I've also got a Philips CD of nos 1 and 3-6, played by I Musici who are excellent, though why they left out no. 2 I've no idea, unless there wasnt room on the disc.

[Roehre]

The 2010 Penguin Guide recommends the Academy of St Martins in the Field, recorded in 1966. I have this on the original two LPs and in my opinion, you cant go wrong with the ASMF. The CD is a Double Decca (ADD) 443 838-2(2)..

My preferred recording too

[richardfinegold]

I see as I research this further that Rossini wrote these String Sonatas in 3 days when he was 12 years old! Now, the music we heard on the radio seemed as if it could be a string orchestra version of arias from his Operas, much in the manner of the Harmoniemusik arrangements of Mozart operas. Is there such an arrangement of Rossini? Maybe I'll just listen to the String Sonatas on Spotify and see if they were the same music we heard this morning.

[Dave2002]

I bought a version of these in a charity shop recently - Chailly. I don't like it very much, but it's played by an orchestra!

I'm sure I had small string versions a long while ago, and there was also a version with wind instruments - wasn't it on Saga? Really nice.
There should be liveliness and "snap" to the pieces which just gets lost in Chailly's version, and I suspect other versions with a modern string orchestra.

I thought I "loved' these pieces until I heard Chailly's - and I have nothing against Chailly - he's very good with Brahms.

[Petrushka]

Karajan recorded 1,2.3 & 6 of the Rossini String Sonatas in 1968 and they are included in the Karajan 1960s box. I've never got round to listening to them and wouldn't, in any case, have thought they were Karajan territory.

[Ferretfancy]

I have the excellent ASMF set, but my introduction to these pieces was a nice old World Record Club LP set by I Solisti Veneti and Claudio Scimone. This is an Erato recording and includes the delightful Variations for Clarinet and small ensemble. The LPs are delightful, and very well recorded. I don't know if CDs exist.
The witty and informative sleeve notes are a bonus, and include some nice Rossini caricatures.

[Dave2002]

I was hoping that some other member would come back and reassure me of the versions I heard many years ago. I'd probably need an old Saga LP catalogue to check, or to do a search in back issues of the Gramophone around 1960-1966.

In the meantime I found that there are currently several versions of what I think are the same pieces arranged for wind. The Michael Thompson has a version on Naxos - http://open.spotify.com/album/0xvoqdLnqUnwAbXvXgyQMg and there's also this one from the Ensemble Wien Berlin - http://www.amazon.com/Rossini-Quarte.../dp/B0000028MO

I'm fairly sure we had an LP version for strings and also a version for wind. I thought Rossini was responsible for both, but I could be mistaken.

[LaurieWatt]

We were listening to a station from Venice this morning and there was some very fetching music for strings only. My wife was particularly entranced and I could only catch the name Rossini when the announcer spoke briefly. I'm suspecting that we were hearing his String Sonatas, which is music that I had never heard before. Unfortunately their website doesn't work when I try to access their schedule of recordings. Can anyone recommend a CD version?

Richard, I join with those who recommend the ASMF with Neville Marriner - I think they originally appeared on Argo, but Decca/London stable, anyway? Wonderful, life enhancing performances, beautifully recorded. I have heard others, indeed, I have others but always come back to these ones. Laurie

[richardfinegold]

Richard, I join with those who recommend the ASMF with Neville Marriner - I think they originally appeared on Argo, but Decca/London stable, anyway? Wonderful, life enhancing performances, beautifully recorded. I have heard others, indeed, I have others but always come back to these ones. Laurie

I have been listening to a few samples of these ASMF on Spotify and fully agree.