Robert VALENTINE: 12 Sonatas for Recorder and Basso Continuo, Op. 11 | Heidi Fardell et al
Robert VALENTINE: 12 Sonatas for Recorder and Basso Continuo, Op. 11 | Heidi Fardell et al - Image 2
Robert VALENTINE: 12 Sonatas for Recorder and Basso Continuo, Op. 11 | Heidi Fardell et al - Image 3

Robert VALENTINE: 12 Sonatas for Recorder and Basso Continuo, Op. 11 | Heidi Fardell et al

£16.00 + P&P

Printing music was expensive in the 18th century and copying manuscripts was commonplace. The works in this première recording are part of a collection of five volumes of recorder music titled Sinfonie dei varij autori  bearing the name Paolo Antonio Parensi (1688–1749), who was thought to have been an amateur musician in Lucca, Italy. Several of the works in this collection are by Robert Valentine ( c. 1674–1747) but there is little know about his life: he was from Leicester, England, but left for Rome in his early 20’s to carve out his career. We don’t know what his connection to Parensi was, but this collection is a hugely valuable source of Italian recorder repertoire from the earlier part of the 18th century. Several of his sonatas were also published by Walsh & Hare, but this première recording presents his Opus 11 as it appears in Parensi manuscript, as 12 recorder and basso continuo sonatas. Valentine wrote over 60 works for the recorder – his output makes him one of the most prolific composers of recorder repertoire in the early 18th century. 

Currently out of stock

Released 4 September 2026
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Description

Released on a limited edition DigiSleeve CD and on all digital platforms: 4 September 2026

Heidi Fardell recorder
Lynda Sayce lute, baroque guitar
Poppy Walshaw baroque cello
Robin Bigwood harpsichord

Robert VALENTINE (c. 1674–1747)
12 Sonatas for Recorder and Basso Continuo, Op. 11 ‘Parensi’
(Première recording)

CD1                                                              [48:29]
1–4.  Sonata No. 3 in G minor 
5–9.  Sonata No. 10 in C major  
10–13.  Sonata No. 2 in A minor
14–18.  Sonata No. 12 in F major
19–23.  Sonata No. 11 in D minor                  
24–27.  Sonata No. 8 in E flat major

CD2                                                                 [44:02]

1–4.  Sonata No. 7 in A minor                  
5–8.  Sonata No. 4 in B flat major
9–13.  Sonata No. 9 in E minor                  
14–18.  Sonata No. 1 in F major                  
19–22.  Sonata No. 6 in F major                
23–26.  Sonata No. 5 in D major                 

Recorded in St Michael and All Angels Church, Great Tew, Oxfordshire, UK, 23 – 26 September, 2024
Produced, recorded, edited and mastered by Adrian Hunter

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