Avison: Trio Sonatas Opus 1, Keyboard Sonatas Opus 8

“Avison's 'Six sonatas for two violins and a bass' Op. 1 are attractive Italianate 'church' sonatas… The playing is committed and, with five sonatas in the minor mode, often impassioned. The recording sound is excellent.” --BBC Music Magazine

"… Played here with relish and charm by the four members of the Avison Ensemble. It characterizes so much of what I feel about this release; essentially, that the rediscovery of this composer and his music in recent years has been long overdue.  … Ideal sound. That little set of variations at the end of Avison's Op, 8 is just the icing on the cake of a most desirable release." --International Record Review

2009 marks the 300th anniversary of the birth of Charles Avison, and The Avison Ensemble plan to record and release all of the remaining orchestral works of Charles Avison, and those of some of his associates and contemporaries, such as John Garth, whose disc of Cello Concertos is our biggest selling title on catalogue (DDA25059).

This release features Six Sonatas for two violins and a bass (Opus 1), coupled with Six Sonatas for harpsichord (Opus 8) – accompanied by two violins and violoncello. All pieces here are première recordings. Comprised of some of Europe's leading musicians and soloists, the Avison Ensemble performs works from the baroque and early classical periods. The Ensemble is unique in having its own composer, along with a substantial repertoire of his music, as yet unperformed in modern times. Miraculously they have added to this repertoire with the recent acquisition of two of Avison’s original workbooks, which contain many unpublished works by Avison and other 18th century composers.

The Ensemble have chosen to perform on period instruments in order to recreate as closely as possible the distinctive 'sound world' that Charles Avison would have known.

2 CD · MP3 320 · 211 MB