Avison: 12 Concerti Grossi - The Avison Ensemble, Beznosiuk

Charles Avison
12 Concerti Grossi after Geminiani's Sonatas for Violin and Basso Continue, Op.1
The Avison Ensemble, Pavlo Beznosiuk
Divine Art dda21210

Charles Avison (1709-1770) was born in Newcastle and can be considered the greatest composer of his time of orchestral concertos. He wrote more than 50 works in the genre – the best known are his orchestra transcriptions of Scarlatti sonatas - as well as chamber music, accompanied keyboard sonatas and vocal compositions.

The existence of his concerto arrangements of Geminiani’s Sonatas for Violin and Basso Continuo, op. 1 (1716) were unknown until quite recently, and presented here as world premiere recordings. In fact Avison seems to have only arranged eleven of the twelve, but Pavlo Beznosiuk has written his own concerto of the missing work, No. 11 in similar style. All are scored for string ensemble in the Italian concerto-gross style.

It has been established that Avison met and studied with the Italian master in London, who had moved there in 1714. There are numerous documented references to this end.

Comprised of some of Europe's leading musicians and soloists and in addition to playing other works from the baroque and early classical periods, the Avison Ensemble promotes chamber concerts and is furthering the revival of the once famous Newcastle Subscription Concerts, originally established and promoted by Charles Avison himself.

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.

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