The young Croation cellist Jelena Ocic has been singled out as one of the most gifted of her generation. On this CD she is accompanied by her sister, the organist Ljerka Ocic, in a recording of Sonatas by Vivaldi and one of his contemporaries, the French composer Jean-Baptiste Barrière.

Founding cellist of the great Beaux Arts Trio, Bernard Greenhouse, has referred to Jelena Ocic as “one of the most remarkable cello talents of today”, while the late Siegfried Palm called her “one of the most promising interpreters of New Music”. This is her third recording for Challenge Classics, following the 2009 release of music by Ginastera, Kabalevsky and Senderovas (CC72358), and the 2011 release of pieces by Bach, Beethoven, and Hindemith (CC72524).

Antonio Vivaldi wrote concertos and sonatas mainly for the all-girl pupils in the Ospedale della Pietà in his home city of Venice. The works recorded here are his Sonatas in A Minor RV 43, E Minor RV 40 and B-flat Major RV 46. The performing musicians have replaced the two Allegro movements of the A Minor Sonata with the two of the Sonata in A Minor RV 44, preserved in two of the manuscripts.

Although born a generation after Vivaldi, the short lifespan of Jean-Baptiste Barrière (1707-1747) tallies with that of the Italian composer. Born of humble origins in Bordeaux, Barrière initially earned his living as a cellist at the Paris Opera. Later he perfected his skills in Italy with Francesco Alborea (known as Francischello) and toured Europe as a celebrated soloist. Barrière’s sonatas are striking for their well-poised, cyclic conception.