A shadowy, unstable and misanthropic character, who died mysteriously from a knife wound inflicted by an unknown assailant, Jean-Marie Leclair was the real creator of the French violin school and one of the greatest violinists of the Eighteenth Century.

His prolific output, almost exclusively devoted to the violin, consisted of a series of collections of sonatas published throughout his lifetime, in which 48 sonatas for violin and bass (four volumes) stand out. The First Book of Sonatas for Solo Violin with Basso Continuo dates from 1723 and represents Leclair’s first publication.

Four sonatas are performed here by Fabio Biondi, one of the most authoritative Baroque performers, joined by an all-star continuo group featuring Rinaldo Alessandrini, Pascal Monteilhet and Maurizio Naddeo.

Long overdue for re-release, this milestone of the Arcana catalogue returns with new artwork and new packaging (digipack).

Liner notes in Italian, English, French, German and Spanish.

Contents:
- Sonata viii [G major]
- Sonata xi [B flat major]
- Sonata vii [F major]
- Sonata iii [B flat major]