Michael Talbot

Typically for Bitti's earlier sonatas, the Sonata in B flat major that heads the London group features four movements in the standard configuration for chamber sonatas of the time: a prelude-like slow...

Typically for Bitti's earlier sonatas, the Sonata in C minor belonging to the London group features four movements in the standard configuration for chamber sonatas of the time: a prelude-like slow op...

Unusually for Bitti's earlier sonatas, the Sonata in G minor belonging to the London group features only three movements: a prelude-like slow opening movement full of melodic eloquence, followed by a...

This Sonata in A major belonging to the 'London' group was published by John Walsh in January 1704 as the opening work in a series of violin sonatas by different composers delivered to subscribers in...

The sonata in D minor captures the traditional mood of this key: serious-minded and a little plaintive. The second of its four movements, a corrente-like fast movement in triple metre, reminds one of...

In A minor, the seventh London sonata is serious and noble in tone, while displaying a dance-like character in its final three movements. It constitutes the perfect marriage between energetic and lyri...

This Sonata in A major, clearly belonging to the 'London' group but not preserved in the British Library manuscript containing seven similar works, was published by John Walsh in April 1704 as the sec...

The twelve 'Cambridge' sonatas, presented to Cardinal Ottoboni, represent the 'late', galant Bitti, full of lovingly sculpted ornamental detail for the violin but with the same resourceful harmony and...

The twelve 'Cambridge' sonatas, presented to Cardinal Ottoboni, represent the 'late', galant Bitti, full of lovingly sculpted ornamental detail for the violin but with the same resourceful harmony and...

The twelve 'Cambridge' sonatas, presented to Cardinal Ottoboni, represent the 'late', galant Bitti, full of lovingly sculpted ornamental detail for the violin but with the same resourceful harmony and...

Bitti's twelve 'Cambridge'sonatas, presented to Cardinal Ottoboni, represent the 'late', galant Bitti, full of lovingly sculpted ornamental detail for the violin but with the same resourceful harmony...

The eleventh sonata, in five movements, is one of the most elaborate in the set. Its first movement (A tempo giusto) is very ornate and makes attractive use of syncopation. The second movement (Vivace...

The twelfth sonata, in four movements, makes a fitting climax to the set. Its first movement (Vivace) is somewhat corrente-like, with delicately traced passage-work. The Andante that follows is distin...

This sonata in B flat major was only recently identified as a sonata by Bitti, since its manuscript in Dresden lacks the name of the composer. Bitti's authorship is not in doubt, however, especially s...

The present work consists of four movements in the tempo-sequence slow - fast - slow - fast: the 'classic' structure associated especially with Corelli. The slow movements are lyrical, the fast moveme...