British Violin Sonatas, Vol. 2 Tasmin Little & Piers Lane

• Frank Bridge (1879 - 1941): Violin Sonata in E-Flat Major, H. 39:
• 1 Bridge: Violin Sonata in E-Flat Major, H. 39: I. Allegro 08:31
• 2 Bridge: Violin Sonata in E-Flat Major, H. 39: II. Andante con espressione 06:56
• John Ireland (1879 - 1962): Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Minor:
• 3 Ireland: Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Minor: I. Allegretto leggiardo (Revised 1944) 10:51
• 4 Ireland: Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Minor: II. Romance. In tempo sostenuto, quasi adagio (Revised 1944) 10:31
• 5 Ireland: Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Minor: III. Rondo. Allegro sciolto assai (Revised 1944) 06:13
• Sir Arthur Bliss (1891 - 1975): Violin Sonata, F. 192:
• 6 Bliss: Violin Sonata, F. 192 11:31
• Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 - 1958): Romance and Pastorale for Violin and Piano:
• 7 Williams: Romance and Pastorale for Violin and Piano: I. Romance. Andantino 04:44
• 8 Williams: Romance and Pastorale for Violin and Piano: II. Pastorale. Andante con moto 03:51
• William Lloyd-Webber (1914 - 1982): The Gardens at Eastwell, "A Late Summer Impression":
• 9 Lloyd-Webber: The Gardens at Eastwell, "A Late Summer Impression": Dolce espressivo (Version for Violin and Piano) 02:49
• Total Runtime 01:05:57

Info for British Violin Sonatas, Vol. 2

Volume 2 of British Violin Sonatas, recorded at Potton Hall with Tasmin Little and Piers Lane, has finally arrived!

The atmosphere established by this original collection is best described by the violinist herself: ‘Now that the disc is complete, the shape of it feels very right and I love the combination of these works – opening with exuberance, and continuing with drama, wistful lines, folk elements, and romance. I always take into account the key structure when planning a disc of varied works, and the way that I have planned this disc gives me one of my favourite moments: the ‘Pastorale’ by Vaughan Williams dies away in the key of E minor, after which our disc segues seamlessly into the E minor introduction to William Lloyd Webber’s piece, which in its turn blossoms into E major as the violin line makes its entrance.

It is a beautiful transition which I hope you will enjoy as much as I do. Both Piers and I would like to dedicate our recording of this lovely little gem by William Lloyd Webber [a premiere recording] to our great friend Jan Robinson.’

"These are splendid, sensitive, insightful interpretations by two great advocates of British music. I hope Vol. 3 is forthcoming!" Gramophone)

Tasmin Little, violin
Piers Lane, piano

Tasmin Little
Tasmin has played with many of the world's greatest orchestras in a career that has taken her to every continent of the world. In addition to her regular solo performances, she has play/directed orchestras such as Royal Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, London Mozart Players, English Chamber Orchestra, Norwegian Chamber, European Union Chamber Orchestra and Britten Sinfonia. In 2007/08 she joined the London Mozart Players as soloist and director in a tour of the UK which also featured her UK conducting debut.

As a concerto player, Tasmin's performances in the 2010/11 season took her twice back to the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam where she performed violin concerti by Loevendie and Prokofiev. Other performances in 2010/11 include concerts in Australia, New Zealand and Slovenia, London’s South Bank Centre as well as a Festival at Kings Place, London, entitled 'Tasmin Little and Friends: Violin Journeys'.

In 2008, Tasmin made her sixteenth appearance at the BBC Promenade Concerts in the Royal Albert Hall, London, in a performance of the Concerto for Violin and Horn by Dame Ethyl Smyth. She continues to champion seldom-performed repertoire, and has received critical acclaim as one of the few violinists to have mastered Ligeti's challenging violin concerto. Her 2003 tour with the Berlin Philharmonic and Sir Simon Rattle, during which she performed the concerto at the Proms, Berlin Philharmonie, the Salzburg Festival, New York's Carnegie Hall and Philadelphia's Kimmel Center, received unanimous critical acclaim ('the technical command was glorious' The Guardian; 'very beautiful' Berliner Morgenpost; 'a major violin talent' Philadelphia Inquirer; 'a formidable soloist' New York Times). In 2007 she returned to the work with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam.

In 2006, Tasmin was Artistic Director of her hugely successful 'Delius Inspired' Festival, which was broadcast for an entire week on BBC Radio 3 in July. An exciting range of events, ranging from orchestral concerts and chamber music to films and exhibitions, also reached 800 school children in an ambitious programme designed to widen interest in classical music for young people. She was Artistic Director of Spring Sounds Festival from 2008 until 2010.

Her discography reflects her wide-ranging repertoire and includes twenty-five recordings, ranging from Bruch and Brahms to Karlowicz and Arvo Pärt. In March 2009 she released the disc 'Partners in Time', her follow-up to The Naked Violin, and in Autumn 2010 her long-awaited recording of the Elgar violin concerto was released on the Chandos label to unanimous critical acclaim. The recording celebrated the 100th anniversary of the concerto’s premiere and included a re-creation of a special version of the accompanied cadenza.

Tasmin is an Ambassador for The Prince’s Foundation for Children and the Arts, is a Fellow of the Guildhall of Music and Drama, is President of ESTA (European String Teachers Association), an Ambassador for Youth Music, and has received Honorary Degrees from the Universities of Bradford, Leicester, Hertfordshire and City of London. In 2009, she received a prestigious Gold Badge Award for services to music.


She plays a 1757 Guadagnini violin and has, on kind loan from the Royal Academy of Music, the 'Regent' Stradivarius of 1708.

This album contains no booklet.