Various Composers - Stranger Sainton (Dmitry Smirnov)

Information

• Prosper Sainton - Rêverie pour violon seul (From the Letter to Joseph Bennett, 1831-1911)
• Prosper Sainton - Thème italien varié für Violine und Orchester, Op. 10
• Niccolò Paganini - I palpiti Variationen für Violine und Orchester
• Hector Berlioz - Rêverie et caprice, Romance pour le violon, H 88
• Richard Strauss - Der Bürger als Edelmann Suite, TrV 228c
• Gioachino Rossini - Andante con variazioni (sur un thème de Tancrède) für Violine und Harfe

Dmitry Smirnov, violin

Kammerorchester Basel

Victor Jacob, conductor

Date: 2026Fuga Libera

Label: 

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Built around the historic Guarneri del Gesù “Sainton Betti” violin once played by Prosper Sainton, this album presents a narrative journey through the golden age of Romanticism. Violinist Dmitry Smirnov highlights the instrument’s expansive expressive capabilities alongside conductor Victor Jacob and the Kammerorchester Basel. The curated program features works by Niccolò Paganini, Gioachino Rossini, Hector Berlioz, and Richard Strauss, illuminating the vibrant musical sphere Sainton inhabited while re-evaluating his overlooked legacy. Together, soloist and ensemble forge a compelling dialogue that seamlessly weaves instrument, repertoire, and history into a unified artistic statement.

Born in 1994 into a St. Petersburg musical family, violinist Dmitry Smirnov received his training at the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory, HEMU Lausanne, and the Basel Music Academy. Recognized as an exceptional talent of his generation, the ARD prizewinner performs worldwide with major ensembles—including the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Kammerorchester Basel—under conductors like Giovanni Antonini and Philippe Herreweghe. Celebrated for his virtuosity, historically informed performance practice, and bold artistic vision, Smirnov’s career encompasses versatile multi-instrumentalism, extensive chamber collaborations, first-prize competition victories, and high-profile recording and premiere projects spanning classical, romantic, and contemporary repertoires.

High Resolution 24-bit / 96 kHz