Julius Röntgen – Solo Suites and Sonatas

As I listen back, here are outtakes from two days of recording these fantastic cycle, on the 9-10th August

Over the past year, one of the real delights for me has been the chance to really dig into the astonishing works for solo violin which emerged just after the First World War. It’s not surprising, that in the privations and limitations which artists were facing after 1918, there was a move to more intimate, less expensive forms, which amongst other things, resulted in a flowering of music for solo instruments other than piano.

The two sets of suites and sonatas by Julius Röntgen are a particular joy, and thanks to his wide circle of friends and collaborators, I feel comfortable with suggesting that they had a profound influence when they were published in 1922.

Nielsen playing chamber music with Julius Röntgen

I will talk a little about the works in the next week, but to start things off, here’s a four-movement playlist, just recorded at the desk in the past few months. Just wait to see what composers are going to be recorded alongside his!!