After recording little-known early-19th-century violin music by Alard and Mercadante, Luigi De Filippi – a busy soloist, chamber musician, concertmaster and conductor – has chosen here six solo sonatas by Tartini from a manuscript collection of ‘26 piccole sonate’ dating from 1745 60. De Filippi uses the resonant church acoustic to advantage: in what often seem like monologues, especially in the cantabile movements, he takes moderate tempi and allows Tartini’s music breath. His intonation and tone are sure, his manner communicative and poised.

The music, too, is varied and attractive – admittedly constructed of small, repeated antecedent-consequent motifs, strategically placed chromaticism, syncopation and virtuoso affects (bariolage, roulades and arpeggios) – but never merely formulaic. Tartini’s melodies (sometimes unaccompanied, as in tr 12) and understated chordal accompaniments, however, prove the most endearing (tks 5, 15, 17, 19 and 24). Among the highlights of the disc are the Largo of Sonata No 10, in which the violinist gives the impression of a wandering minstrel, the charming dances (trs 11 and 22), the ornamental bird songs (trs 6 and 18), the all too brief, exotic ‘Aria del Tasso’ in Sonata No 17 and the fascinating ‘Tema con variazioni’ that closes the Sonata in A minor.

This is relatively unknown 18th-century repertoire, well worth getting to know, beautifully and tastefully performed.