Dall'Abaco and the Art of Variation Elinor Frey, Federica Bianchi, Eva Lymenstull, Michele Pasotti, Octavie Dostaler-Lalonde

• Giuseppe Clemente Dall'Abaco (1710 - 1805): Cello Sonata in D Major, ABV 39:
• 1 Dall'Abaco: Cello Sonata in D Major, ABV 39: I. Cantabile 02:59
• 2 Dall'Abaco: Cello Sonata in D Major, ABV 39: II. Moderato 03:49
• 3 Dall'Abaco: Cello Sonata in D Major, ABV 39: IIIa. Con comodo 01:16
• 4 Dall'Abaco: Cello Sonata in D Major, ABV 39: IIIb. Variation 1 01:15
• 5 Dall'Abaco: Cello Sonata in D Major, ABV 39: IIIc. Variation 2 01:14
• 6 Dall'Abaco: Cello Sonata in D Major, ABV 39: IIId. Variation 3 01:28
• 7 Dall'Abaco: Cello Sonata in D Major, ABV 39: IIIe. Variation 4 01:11
• 8 Dall'Abaco: Cello Sonata in D Major, ABV 39: IIIf. Variation 5 01:16
• 9 Dall'Abaco: Cello Sonata in D Major, ABV 39: IIIg. Variation 6 01:13
• 10 Dall'Abaco: Cello Sonata in D Major, ABV 39: IIIh. Variation 7 01:12
• 11 Dall'Abaco: Cello Sonata in D Major, ABV 39: IIIi. Variation 8 01:21
• Trio for 3 Cellos No. 1 in B-Flat Major, ABV 54:
• 12 Dall'Abaco: Trio for 3 Cellos No. 1 in B-Flat Major, ABV 54: I. Moderato 08:19
• 13 Dall'Abaco: Trio for 3 Cellos No. 1 in B-Flat Major, ABV 54: II. Adagio 04:11
• 14 Dall'Abaco: Trio for 3 Cellos No. 1 in B-Flat Major, ABV 54: III. Capricio 05:43
• 15 Dall'Abaco: Trio for 3 Cellos No. 1 in B-Flat Major, ABV 54: IV. Allegro 03:42
• Cello Sonata in C Major, ABV 20:
• 16 Dall'Abaco: Cello Sonata in C Major, ABV 20: I. Adagio 05:47
• 17 Dall'Abaco: Cello Sonata in C Major, ABV 20: II. Allegro moderato e staccato 04:10
• 18 Dall'Abaco: Cello Sonata in C Major, ABV 20: III. Aria 03:48
• 19 Dall'Abaco: Cello Sonata in C Major, ABV 20: IVa. Minuetto cantabile. Thema 01:07
• Elinor Frey (b. 1979): Cello Sonata in C Major, ABV 20:
• 20 Frey: Cello Sonata in C Major, ABV 20: IVb. Variation 1 00:53
• 21 Frey: Cello Sonata in C Major, ABV 20: IVc. Variation 2 00:51
• 22 Frey: Cello Sonata in C Major, ABV 20: IVd. Variation 3 00:54
• 23 Frey: Cello Sonata in C Major, ABV 20: IVe. Variation 4 01:26
• 24 Frey: Cello Sonata in C Major, ABV 20: IVf. Variation 5 01:00
• 25 Frey: Cello Sonata in C Major, ABV 20: IVg. Variation 6 01:21
• Giuseppe Clemente Dall'Abaco: Trio for 3 Cellos No. 2 in G Major, ABV 55:
• 26 Dall'Abaco: Trio for 3 Cellos No. 2 in G Major, ABV 55: I. Moderato 05:40
• 27 Dall'Abaco: Trio for 3 Cellos No. 2 in G Major, ABV 55: II. Larghetto 02:20
• 28 Dall'Abaco: Trio for 3 Cellos No. 2 in G Major, ABV 55: III. Comodo 04:51
• 29 Dall'Abaco: Cello Sonata in D Major, ABV 21: I. Adagio 02:43
• 30 Dall'Abaco: Cello Sonata in D Major, ABV 21: II. Allegro 03:36
• 31 Dall'Abaco: Cello Sonata in D Major, ABV 21: IIIa. Minuetto. Thema 00:57
• Elinor Frey: Cello Sonata in D Major, ABV 21:
• 32 Frey: Cello Sonata in D Major, ABV 21: IIIb. Variation 1 00:57
• 33 Frey: Cello Sonata in D Major, ABV 21: IIIc. Variation 2 01:04
• 34 Frey: Cello Sonata in D Major, ABV 21: IIId. Variation 3 01:04
• 35 Frey: Cello Sonata in D Major, ABV 21: IIIe. Variation 4 01:17
• Total Runtime 01:25:55

Info for Dall'Abaco and the Art of Variation

Cellist Elinor Frey has worked for the past many years to research, record, and publish the remarkable cello music of 18th-century virtuoso Giuseppe Clemente Dall’Abaco. Her 2020 CD release “Dall’Abaco: Cello Sonatas” was awarded the prestigious Diapason d’or and her 2022 release “The Cello According to Dall’Abaco” was given a “cum laude” in Luister magazine. Her new album celebrating Dall’Abaco’s music is one that explores the Baroque art of variation through two cello trios, performed alongside Eva Lymenstull and Octavie Dostaler-Lalonde, and three cello sonatas, joined by Michele Pasotti and Federica Bianchi. In each sonata, the final movements have a theme followed by a set of variations. Such variations give space for the composer or the performer to develop the piece further by producing interesting new gestural figures in the solo cello part while continuing to use the same bass line and its harmonies. Sonata ABV 39 has a set variations written by Dall’Abaco and Sonatas ABV 20 and ABV 21 have variations written by Elinor Frey. Variation sets are typically full of virtuosic gestures and resourceful melodic creations. At the same time, the album explores the subtle variations of sound among cellos and cellists themselves.

Elinor Frey, cello, artistic director
Eva Lymenstull, cello
Michele Pasotti, theorbo
Octavie Dostaler-Lalonde, cello
Federica Bianchi, harpsichord

Elinor Frey
is a leading Canadian-American cellist, gambist, and researcher who specializes in early music and new music. Her acclaimed CDs on the Belgian label Passacaille – most of which are world premiere recordings – include La voce del violoncello (2013), Berlin Sonatas (2015) with Lorenzo Ghielmi on fortepiano, Fiorè (2017), which features soprano Suzie LeBlanc, and Giuseppe Clemente Dall’Abaco: Cello Sonatas (2020) which received a Diapason d’Or. Her current release is Antonio Vandini: Complete Works, a project in collaboration with Marc Vanscheeuwijck. Her critical edition of Dall’Abaco Sonatas is published in collaboration with Walhall Editions. Frey’s album of new works for Baroque cello, titled Guided By Voices, was released on the Analekta label in 2019. In recent seasons she has performed throughout N. America and Europe, as well as ten years with Pallade Musica. Recipient of a US-Italy Fulbright Fellowship, Frey holds degrees from McGill, Mannes, and Juilliard. She teaches early cello at the University of Montréal, lectures at McGill University, and is a Visiting Fellow in Music at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University. Frey was awarded Québec’s Opus Prize for “Performer of the Year” in 2021.

Booklet for Dall'Abaco and the Art of Variation