Six Viennese Sonatas For Violin & Basso Continuo

Giovanni Battista Sammartini attained a leading role in Milan's music scene in the 18th century, his career extending from the height of the Baroque era to the Classical worlds of Mozart and Haydn by his death in 1775. Appearing here in world premiere recordings, these works appear to belong to Sammartini's early period, including a four-movement example that recollects archaic church sonata form. Full of fascinating stylistic quirks, these sonatas reflect the refined taste for nuance found in the Milanese musician's finest chamber works, with an easy melodic flow that expresses a mood for stylistic change.