The Sebastians: The Italian Violin

Join violinist Nicholas DiEugenio and harpsichordist Jeffrey Grossman for an intimate recital centered around the violin and its Italian roots.

The violin rose to its position as the diva of the orchestra in Italy, especially as famous makers like Maggini, Guarneri, and Stradivari perfected its form with experiments in shape and size. From its humble street origins, the violin eventually became the core of the orchestra, a position it still holds today. Composers across Europe studied the way Italian composers wrote for the violin—after all, that was its home country.

Bach’s respect and love for the violin is obvious in the way he writes for the instrument. His sonatas and partitas for solo violin are among the greatest works for the instrument, and several of them show the strong influence of Italian music. Nicholas will perform one of these solo suites in the intimate space of Brick Church’s Chapel of the Reformed Faith, in addition to duo repertoire for violin and harpsichord.

Program: Works by Giovanni Battista Somis, George Frideric Handel, Johann Sebastian Bach, Domenico Scarlatti, and others