Wolf-Ferrari: 3 Violin Sonatas

Previously known principally for his operatic and dramatic works such as I Gioelli della Madonna, Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari built up a body of instrumental music that was played across Europe during his lifetime. The First Violin Sonata was written while the 19-year-old Wolf-Ferrari was still studying with Joseph Rheinberger in Munich. However, its long-breathed melodies and grasp of large-scale form bely its composer’s relative inexperience.