Arcangelo Corelli - 12 Violin Sonatas, Op. 5 (Stefano Montanari; Accademia Bizantina)

Information

Composer: Arcangelo Corelli

• Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Major, Op. 5 No. 1
• Violin Sonata No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 5 No. 2
• Violin Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Op. 5 No. 3
• Violin Sonata No. 4 in F Major, Op. 5 No. 4
• Violin Sonata No. 5 in G Minor, Op. 5 No. 5
• Violin Sonata No. 6 in A Major, Op. 5 No. 6
• Violin Sonata No. 7 in D Minor, Op. 5 No. 7
• Violin Sonata No. 8 in E Minor, Op. 5 No. 8
• Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 5 No. 9
• Violin Sonata No. 10 in F Major, Op. 5 No. 10
• Violin Sonata No. 11 in E Major, Op. 5 No. 11
• Violin Sonata No. 12 in D Minor, Op. 5 No. 12 “La Folia”

Stefano Montanari, violin

Accademia Bizantina

Ottavio Dantone, harpsichord & conductor

Date: 2005 / 2026

Label: Amadeus Best

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This recording adds an outstanding entry to the extensive discography of Corelli’s Op. 5 Violin Sonatas and marks Accademia Bizantina’s second complete cycle. In several respects, it surpasses the ensemble’s earlier 1990 recording, particularly through the refined artistry of violinist Stefano Montanari, whose playing is more lucid and stylistically incisive. Under Ottavio Dantone’s direction, the use of a full continuo and occasional additional instruments enriches the texture. Improved engineering reveals these timbres with exceptional clarity, resulting in a sonically luxurious and musically distinguished interpretation among period-instrument recordings.

Stefano Montanari (born 1969) is an Italian conductor and violinist, currently Principal Conductor of the Orchestra del Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari. Trained in violin, piano, and chamber music, he was formerly concertmaster of Accademia Bizantina and now pursues an international career as both conductor and soloist. He is a frequent guest at major opera houses and festivals across Europe and beyond, including Covent Garden, the Bayerische Staatsoper, and the Bolshoi Theatre. An educator and author of a baroque violin method, he also collaborates across genres; his Decca album O Solitude received a Grammy nomination.

Accademia Bizantina, founded in Ravenna in 1984, is dedicated to performing Baroque music according to its original stylistic rules, using period instruments. This approach deepened in 1996 with the arrival of conductor Ottavio Dantone, whose expertise in Baroque expression shaped the ensemble’s distinctive, historically informed performance style. With concertmaster Alessandro Tampieri joining in 2011, the orchestra has become known for its balance of rigour, technique and interpretative insight. Based in Bagnacavallo since 2013, Accademia Bizantina has recorded for major labels and earned major awards. It performs worldwide and, since 2024, has served as orchestra-in-residence at the Innsbruck Early Music Festival.