This recording consists of six fantastic, beautiful, sometimes a little bizarre, rare violin sonatas from the early 18th century and includes three premiere recordings.

This release is the first of a new FHR series in which samples of the musical riches (mostly not yet published or recorded) that lie in the Dresden Schrank II collection which FHR will bring to life through new recordings.

A large portion of the Schrank II manuscripts belonged to the composer/violinist Johann Georg Pisendel (1687-1755), who whilst travelling throughout Europe, amassed a huge quantity of music, mostly manuscript. Some he bought from music shops or receive directly from composers. Most, however, he copied out himself. This collection is one of the largest and most diverse repositories of late-baroque music in the world.

The Austrian Johann Joseph Vilsmayr’s strange but illuminating Partita (Sonata) is a first recording, and in fact one of only two known extant sets of works by the composer, the other being the 6 Partitas also released by FHR. Alongside two gorgeous sonatas by the Italian Gasparo Visconti, there are three tremendous sonatas by Swiss-born Johann Freidrich Schreivogel. The only sonata not from Schrank II on this recrording, the one in E flat major, is from the Tartini Collection, also a premirre recording, is now featured on the ABRSM Grade 8 violin examination syllabus (2020-23).

The two brilliant musicians on this recording were chosen specifically for their incredible skills, musicianship and specialist baroque talent. Violinist Kinga Ujszászi and harpsichordist Tom Foster, both members of The English Concert baroque orchestra, give incredibly exciting and stylish performances in a wonderful crystal-clear recorded sound.