Antonio Bazzini, born in Brescia in 1818, was one of the great violinist-composers of the 19th century. After encouragement from Paganini following an encounter in 1836, he lived the life of a touring virtuoso for many years. Though he composed in larger forms, he is best remembered as the composer of numerous salon pieces for violin and piano, the most famous being La Ronde des lutins (The Dance of the Goblins), but also including many character pieces of various descriptions. Eventually returning to Italy, he was appointed first professor and then director of the Milan Conservatory and was a teacher of Mascagni and Puccini.

The brilliant young violinist Chloë Hanslip has recorded another volume of Hyperion’s Romantic Violin Concerto series, and displays her usual insouciant virtuosity and obvious delight in the music. Glazunov’s Violin Concerto, written for Leopold Auer, is a masterpiece of violin writing, including a brilliantly effective cadenza by the composer himself. As Hans Keller wrote, ‘Glazunov created an almost perfect concerto—instrumentally, the best I know amongst pianists’ violin concertos’.

Hyperion’s record of the month for May heralds a new collaboration with the brilliant young British violinist Chloë Hanslip, the former child prodigy famously signed to Warner Classics at the age of just fourteen. Here, she lends her now-mature talents to the second release in Hyperion’s overview of Vieuxtemps’ Violin Concertos and Volume 12 of the burgeoning Romantic Violin Concerto series.

Heritage presents a brand new recording of a British Violin Concerto. Chloe Hanslip gives the world premiere recording of Peter Dickinson’s Violin Concerto, accompanied by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and conducted by Clark Rundell. This release marks the 80th birthday of Peter Dickinson. The performance is coupled with recordings of the Piano Concerto (Howard Shelley) and Organ Concerto (Jennifer Bate), both works accompanied by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by David Atherton. Also included is the world premiere recording of Merseyside Echoes, Dickinson’s light-hearted tribute to The Beatles.