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The beautiful back of the 1685 Stradivari, on which this cycle was recorded

Two days ago, I finished recording the 98 solo movements of the ‘Klagenfurt Handskrift’ (ca. 1680-90) on the 1685 Stradivari from the Royal Northern College of Music College.

The wonderful Klagenfurt Handskrift. Designed to fit into a coat pocket-tied up with a ribbon-see remains on the right

As the only person who has performed every one of these movements, and after the work that began a year ago when you first sent me the MS, I can confidently say that this is one of the most important works for the violin that we have. Every movement is fascinating: inventive, colourful, and, at a striking number of points, profound. There’s some of the most moving music that I have every played here, and the fascination and wonder grows. 

Technical work to reconcile tablature isssues in movement 28 of the Klagenfurt MS 3 6 18

The small 1685 Stradivari turned out to be the perfect choice for the range of colours and timbres which this cycle demands, and to respond well to the scordatura. This wonderful music, which is now as important a part of my repertoire as Bach, Paganini, Telemann or Tartini. 

1.A Major Preambulus  AEAE (Page 3)

There are a number of parts of the ms which are grouped as dance-suites. So the very first movement of the collection,  ‘preamble’, serves as both a overture, an upbeat for the group of movements, and for the whole book.

2. A Major [Allemande?]  AEAE (Page 4i)

The AEAE tuning is probably the most widely used ‘scordatura’ today. There’s a simple reason why it is loved by folk violinists, which is that the the fingerings for the bottom and top two strings are the same. There are many bluegrass tunes which exploit this to transpose octaves. However, our composer is interested in colour, and not ease of access. The tuning, as she uses it, enables a ‘unison’ A to be played in the middle of the violin, in first position, but using the third finger, not the 4th, which gives a particular flavour. I will come back to ‘unisons’ extensively later.

3.A Major (Corrente?) AEAE (Page 4ii)

4. A Major Finale   AEAE (Page 6i)

5. A major  [Allemande?] AEAE (Page 7)

6. A Major [Menuetto?] AEAE (Page 8)

7. A Major [Giga?] AEAE (Page 9)

8. A Major [Corrente?] AEAE (Page10)

9. A Major [Passepied?] AEAE  (Page 11)

10. A Major [Menuetto?] AEAE (Page 12)

11. A Major [Menuet?] AEAE (Page 13)

12. A Major Double AEAE (Page 14)

13. A  Major [Sarabande] AEAE (Page 14-15)

14. A Major [Corrente] AEAE (Page 15)

15. A Major [Toccata] AEAE (Page 16)

16. G Major Allamand [sic] GDAE (Page 17)

17. G Major Courent [sic] GDAE (Page 18)

18. G Major Sarabanda GDAE (Page 19)

19. D Major [Giga] AEAE (Page 20)

20. G Major [Overture] GDAD (Page 21)

21. G Major [Corrente] GDAD (Page 22)

22. G Major Sarabande GDAD (Page 23)

23. G Major Giga GDAD (Page 24-5)

24. G minor Prelude GDAD (Page 26i)

25. G minor [Allemanda] GDAD (Page 26ii-27)

26. D minor [Loure] AEAD (Page 28i)

27. G minor [Alla Breve]GDAD (Page 28ii)

28. G minor [Minuetto] GDAD (Page 29i)

29. G minor [Sarabanda] GDAD (Page 30)

30. G Major [Siciliana] GDAE (Page 34)

31. E Major [Ciaconna] GDAE (Page 35)

32. D minor Praeludium ADAD (Page 36)

33. D minor [Allemanda] ADAD (Page 37)

34. D minor Courante ADAD (Page 38]

35. D Major Sarabanda ADAD (Page 39i)

36. D minor [Courante] ADAD (Page 39ii)

37. D minor (Sarabande) ADAD (40-41i)

38. D Major Pfefferstopfl AEAD (Page 43)

39. D Major [Menuetto] AEAD (Page 44)

40. D Major [Praeludium] AEAD (Page 45)

41. D Major [Giga] AEAD (Page 46)

42. D minor [alla Marcia] DFAD (Page 49i)

43. D minor [Minuetto] DFAD (Page 49ii)

44. D minor [Giga] DFAD (Page 50)

45. D minor [Minuet] DFAD (Page 51)

46. D Major Aria AEAD (Page 52i)

47. D Major Courante AEAD (Page 52ii)

50. D Major Sarabande AEAD (Page 54)

51. D Major Sarabande AEAD (Page 55)

52. D Major [Giga] AEAD (Page 56)

53. D Major [Giga] AEAD (Page 57)

54. D minor [Malinconia]  GDAE (Page 59)

55. D minor [Double] GDAE (Page 60i)

56. D minor [Aria] GDAE (Page 60ii)

57. D minor [Double] GDAE (Page 61]

58. D Major [Overture] AEAD (Page 62-63i]

59. D Major Allamand AEAD [Page 63ii]

60. D Major Courant AEAD (Page 64)

61. G minor [Giga] GDAE (Page 65)

62. G minor [Sarabanda] GDAE (Page 66)

63. G minor [Double] GDAE (Page 67)

64. G minor [Giga] GDAE (Page 68)

65-66. G minor [Minuetto & Double] GDAE (Page 69)

67. G minor [Puzzle-Courant] GDAE (Page 70)

68. G minor [Giga] GDAE (Page 71)

69. G Major Gigue GDAE (Page 72)

70. G major G Major Giga (Page 73)

71. A Major [Courante] EAEA (Page 74-5)

72. A minor [Courante] GDAE (Page 77

73. A minor [Siciliana] GDAE (Page 78)

74. A minor [Giga] GDAE (Page 79)

75.  E Major – A Major (Sarabanda/Praeludium) GDAE (Page 83)

76. E minor [Giga] GDAE (Page 84)

77. G minor [Minuetto] GDAE (Page 90i)

78. C Major [Praeludium] GDAE (Page 90ii=91i)

79. D minor  [Praeludium] GDAE (Page 92-3)

80. A Major [Divisions on a ground] GDAE (Pages 96-97)

81. A Major [Giga] GDAE (Page 98)

82. D Major [Giga] GDAE (Page 99)

83. B flat Major [Giga] GDAE (Page 100)

84. C minor [Giga] GDAE (Page 101)

84. D Major [Giga] GDAE (Page 102)

85. D Major [Giga] GDAE (Page 103)

86. A Major [Giga] GDAE (Page 104-105)

87. G minor [Allemanda] GDAE (Page 120-121)

89. B flat Major [Courante] GDAE (Page 122-123)

90. B minor [Allemanda] GDAE (Page 124)

91. B minor [Sarabanda] GDAE (Page 125)

92. B Minor [Minuetto] GDAE (Page 126)

93. C minor [Minuetto] GDAE (Page 127)

94. G minor [Courante] GDAE (Page 128-9)

95. A minor [Siciliana] GDAE (Pager 130-131i)

96. A minor [Courante] GDAE (Page 131ii-132i)

97. G minor [Minuetto] GDAE (Page 132i-133)

98. F Major [Courante] GDAE (Page 134)