Bitti's twelve ‘Cambridge’ sonatas, presented to Cardinal Ottoboni, represent the composer’s late, galant style, full of lovingly sculpted ornamental detail for the violin but with the same resourceful harmony and perfectly proportioned forms we recognize from earlier works. The first sonata of the group, with five movements, blends church and chamber elements attractively. Unusually for his time, Bitti pays particular attention to the phrasing and articulation of the violin part, thereby greatly enhancing the music’s expressive power.
|