George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Complete Violin Sonatas
Bojan Čičić (baroque violin)
Steven Devine (harpsichord)
rec. 2023, St Martin’s Church, East Woodhay, UK
Delphian DCD34304 [66]

Back in October last year I reviewed Bojan Čičić’s recording of J.S. Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin. The review was nominated a Recording of the Month and subsequently became one of my Recordings of the Year for 2023. So, when this recently released album came up for grabs I jumped at the chance to review it.

When I first glanced at the tracklist I was rather taken aback that my favorite Violin Sonata was absent – Sonata No.3 in F Major, HWV 370. It was only when I did a spot of googling that I discovered that although it was originally thought to have been composed by Handel, modern scholars doubt that this is now the case and its authorship is spurious. This recording only incorporates the authenticated works.

I’ve always enjoyed Handel’s Violin Sonatas and I learned a couple of them as a youngster when I played the violin. They are suffused with beautiful and attractive melodies, and are intimate in character. They spanned the composer’s career, from the early G major, HWV358 from around 1706 to the mature D major HWV371 of 1750, considered his masterpiece in the genre. The performers take a historically informed approach. Čičić’s violin is a G. Tononi, Bologna 1701 with a rich tone, whilst Devine plays on the magnificent 1756 Kirckman harpsichord, an instrument he has been familiar with for many years.

Handel adopted the Italian style for his sonatas, harking back to the structure established by Corelli. The Sonata in G major, HWV358, the earliest of the set, dates from his time in Italy. It’s cast in three movements, and its opening movement emphasises the composer’s youthful Italianate fervour. All of the other Sonatas adopt a four movement structure. They all brim over with vitality and passion. The slow movement’s elegant lines are spun naturally and with ease. The dance movements are articulated with joyous abandon. Čičić’s ornamentation is employed with style, imagination and flair. Interspersed throughout the disc are some single movements illustrating the composer’s relationship to the violin.

The recording balance favours the violin, and I did find the harpsichord slightly recessed. Although the sonatas are not showy or virtuosic in any way, Čičić has a wonderful command of the instrument and his intonation is flawless. I must also praise Donald Burrows for his excellent and informative liner contribution, which is supplemented with some high quality colour photographs of the players and their instruments. It’s heartwarming to find that these works have found fine advocacy from the these two gifted performers.

Stephen Greenbank

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Contents
Violin Sonata in D major, HWV371
Violin Sonata in G major, HWV358
Violin Sonata in D minor, HWV359a
Violin Sonata in G minor, HWV364a
Violin Sonata in A major, HWV372
Violin Sonata in E major, HWV373
Violin Sonata in A major, op.1 no.3 HWV361
Allegro in G major for violin and continuo, HWV407
Allegro in C minor for violin and continuo, HWV408
Sonatina from Il trionfo del Tempo, HWV46b
Andante in A minor, HWV412
Fantasia in A major, HWV406