Antoine Favre

Six Sonatas for Violin and Basso Continuo

Antoine Favre (c.1670-c.1739) was a composer of rare ability whose few surviving collections, all published during the 1730s, have hitherto remained unknown not only to performers but also to the majority of scholars. His second book of sonatas for violin and basso continuo (the first is lost) contains six substantial five-movement works suited equally to concert performance and domestic enjoyment. Players will relish their idiomatic instrumental writing and variety of expression, embracing both the Italian and French styles, as well as their formal sophistication, harmonic resourcefulness and contrapuntal ingenuity.