Wolf-Ferrari: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1-3 Emmanuele Baldini & Luca Delle Donne

• Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari (1876 - 1948): Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 1:
• 1 Wolf-Ferrari: Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 1: I. Sostenuto - Allegro appassionato quasi presto 10:02
• 2 Wolf-Ferrari: Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 1: II. Lento senza tempo - A tempo di adagio 07:29
• 3 Wolf-Ferrari: Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 1: III. Sostenuto - Allegro ma non troppo e con spirito 08:28
• Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Minor, Op. 10:
• 4 Wolf-Ferrari: Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Minor, Op. 10: I. Appassionato 09:39
• 5 Wolf-Ferrari: Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Minor, Op. 10: II. Recitativo. Adagio - Sostenuto con amore, semplicemente 08:53
• Violin Sonata No. 3 in E Major, Op. 27:
• 6 Wolf-Ferrari: Violin Sonata No. 3 in E Major, Op. 27: I. Allegro moderato 06:27
• 7 Wolf-Ferrari: Violin Sonata No. 3 in E Major, Op. 27: II. Andantino con innocenza 04:04
• 8 Wolf-Ferrari: Violin Sonata No. 3 in E Major, Op. 27: III. Agitato con passione 07:29
• 9 Wolf-Ferrari: Violin Sonata No. 3 in E Major, Op. 27: IV. Allegro molto con fuoco più allegro del primo tempo 08:16
• Total Runtime 01:10:47

Info for Wolf-Ferrari: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1-3

Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari’s reputation rests largely on his operas, but the instrumental music he composed at the beginning and end of his career deserves a wider currency. The influence of Brahms can be detected in the First and Second Violin Sonatas, though Wolf-Ferrari’s distinctive long-breathed melodies and chromatic flow are clearly present; the dramatic and expressive Second also includes references to Wagner’s Tristan. With its neo-Bachian figuration, passages of intense melancholy and uplifting operatic fantasy, the final Third Sonata is an enigmatic work, and unlike any other in the repertoire.

Emmanuele Baldini, violin
Luca Delle Donne, piano

Emmanuele Baldini
was born in Trieste, Italy. After studies in his hometown, he furthered his violin training in Geneva, Salzburg and Berlin, studying conducting with Isaac Karabtchevsky and Frank Shipway. Baldini is a prize-winning violinist who has performed in all the major European concert halls, in addition to those in Latin America and Brazil.

Following a highly successful career as a violinist, Baldini has embarked on new musical ventures as a conductor. He founded the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo (Osesp) Quartet, and has collaborated with internationally renowned artists such as Maria João Pires, Jean-Philippe Collard and Jean-Efflam Bavouzet. Baldini has been concertmaster of the Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna, the Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala di Milano and the Orchestra del Teatro ‘Giuseppe Verdi’ di Trieste, and since 2005 has been concertmaster of the Osesp. He has also acted as guest concertmaster of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Galícia. Between 2017 and 2020 he was music director of Valdivia Chamber Orchestra in Chile and from 2022 he is principal conductor of the Symphonic Orchestra of Tatui’s Conservatory in Brazil. In October, 2023 Emmanuele Baldini was appointed music director of the new Ñuble Symphonic Orchestra in Chile.

Luca Delle Donne
began piano studies at the age of six. He obtained his Diploma at the Giuseppe Tartini State Conservatory of Trieste with full marks, honours and a special mention under the guidance of Lorenzo Baldini, and his Master’s degree in piano interpretation with Gabriele Vianello. He has also participated in masterclasses with acclaimed artists such as Philippe Entremont, Claudius Tanski, Franco Scala and the legendary Trio di Trieste.

Delle Donne has performed throughout Europe and America, and has undertaken several tours across China and Japan. He has given solo recitals, worked with chamber ensembles alongside renowned musicians, and with orchestras.

Alongside his work teaching and giving masterclasses in Italy he has been invited to sit on the juries of numerous international competitions, and is the co-founder of Festival Internazionale ‘Primavera Beethoveniana’.

Booklet for Wolf-Ferrari: Violin Sonatas Nos. 1-3