Various Composers - Aurora Germanica (Louise Ayrton)

Information

• Samuel Capricornus - Prothimia Suavissima, Book II: No. 3, Sonata a 3
• Johann Philipp Krieger - Partiturbuch Ludwig: No. 37, Ciaconna in D Major
• Johann Philipp Krieger - Sonata Sesta à 2
• Johann Heinrich Schmelzer - Violin Sonata in A Minor
• Johann Paul von Westhoff - Violin Sonata No. 3 in D Major
• Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber  - Violin Sonata No. 3 in F Major, C. 140
• Johann Joseph Vilsmayr - Artificiosus Concentus pro Camera: Partita No. 1 in A Major

Louise Ayrton, violin & direction

Alice Trocellier, tenor viol & bass viol

Salomé Gasselin, alto viol

Lucie Chabard, harpsichord & organ

Sergio Bucheli, archlute & guitar

Gauthier Broutin, cello

Date: 2026

Label: Château de Versailles Spectacles

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Long before J.S. Bach’s era, a succession of pioneering composers elevated the Baroque violin from vocal accompaniment to a prominent solo voice within the Holy Roman Empire. This album traces that evolving Germanic tradition through the contrapuntal rigor of Samuel Capricornus, the dramatic mastery of Biber, and the refined elegance of Krieger, Schmelzer, Westhoff, and Vilsmayr. Performed with subtle finesse by violinist Louise Ayrton, the recording unearths these forgotten origins and honors the visionary musicians who established the instrument's solo repertoire, ultimately paving the way for the violin to define its own independent musical narrative.

French-British violinist Louise Ayrton pursued studies at the University of Cambridge, the Conservatoire de Chalon-sur-Saône, and the Royal Academy of Music, where she graduated with top honors under Pavlo Beznosiuk. A decorated musician, she won the Mica Comberti Bach Prize and the Nancy Nuttall Early Music Prize, performing under prominent conductors including Simon Rattle and Philippe Herreweghe. Ayrton currently serves as concertmaster for Ensemble Jupiter and Poème Harmonique, and frequently leads the Orchestra of the Opéra Royal de Versailles. As co-director of Ensemble Téodora and an artist-in-residence at the Singer-Polignac Foundation, she released her debut solo album performing on a 1758 Christian Liebel violin.