G.Tartini - Sonata in G minor (“Devil’s Trill”) - 1. Larghetto afetuoso
Oscar Shumsky, Milton Kaye
Tartini isn’t just the ‘Devil’s Trill’ Sonata, despite of this is the most famous work of him. Well, I believe Tartini is more known among Violinists than other instrument players or lovers and it’s quite easy understand that, because he was a great Violin teacher: “L’Arte dell’arco” is one important study for young intermediate-advanced Violinists (as Casorti, Ševcík, Flesch, etc., are important too).
He also wrote many Operas, but I think all of them have a minor importance; the real gold is hidden in his Concertos, Sonatas and general works for the Violin. Fabio Biondi recorded another Tartini’s Sonata in G minor (Op.2 no.1) in his 2003 CD called “Italian Sonatas”; I must be honest: this CD is worth just for Veracini’s and Tartini’s Sonata, ‘cause I do think that Geminiani, Locatelli and Mascitti suck.
For whom doesn’t know Tartini at all, I strongly recommend his famous work, the Devil’s Trill Sonata. There’s a story behind this work and you can look for it on the Wikipedia database: it’s quite simples and easy.
There’re a really big bunch of well known Violinists who performed the Devil’s Trill, as Perlman, Mae, Mutter, Prihoda, etc., but I’ll post here a performance of Oscar Shumsky, not really known by people, but a really good Violinist; perhaps this is my favorite record of this Tartini’s Sonata.
I posted the first movement, but I’ll let here links for the rest.
Part 2 - Movements 2, 3 and 4
Part 3 - Candenza and Finalle