Martino Bitti

Martino Bitti wrote numerous sonatas for violin and basso continuo, as well as pieces for flute and oboe and several compositions for harpsichord. This C minor oboe sonata in four movements appears to...

Typically for Bitti's earlier sonatas, the Sonata in B flat major that heads the London group features four movements in the standard configuration for chamber sonatas of the time: a prelude-like slow...

Typically for Bitti's earlier sonatas, the Sonata in C minor belonging to the London group features four movements in the standard configuration for chamber sonatas of the time: a prelude-like slow op...

Unusually for Bitti's earlier sonatas, the Sonata in G minor belonging to the London group features only three movements: a prelude-like slow opening movement full of melodic eloquence, followed by a...

The sonata in D minor captures the traditional mood of this key: serious-minded and a little plaintive. The second of its four movements, a corrente-like fast movement in triple metre, reminds one of...

In A minor, the seventh London sonata is serious and noble in tone, while displaying a dance-like character in its final three movements. It constitutes the perfect marriage between energetic and lyri...

This Sonata in A major, clearly belonging to the 'London' group but not preserved in the British Library manuscript containing seven similar works, was published by John Walsh in April 1704 as the sec...

This sonata by Bitti is unusual in having only three movements - all of them quick or quickish movements in C major. However, the movements are nicely contrasted. The first is a euphonious dialogue be...

This expressive four-movement sonata in G minor opens with an Adagio in the style of a slow cantata aria, complete with an introductory ritornello for the continuo. There follow an Allegro in perpetuu...

This A major sonata could be regarded as a summation of Bitti's craft as a composer of violin sonatas. It is also a sonata that comes particularly close to Corelli's musical language. A long, eloquent...

The twelve 'Cambridge' sonatas, presented to Cardinal Ottoboni, represent the 'late', galant Bitti, full of lovingly sculpted ornamental detail for the violin but with the same resourceful harmony and...

Bitti's twelve 'Cambridge'sonatas, presented to Cardinal Ottoboni, represent the 'late', galant Bitti, full of lovingly sculpted ornamental detail for the violin but with the same resourceful harmony...

The eleventh sonata, in five movements, is one of the most elaborate in the set. Its first movement (A tempo giusto) is very ornate and makes attractive use of syncopation. The second movement (Vivace...

The twelfth sonata, in four movements, makes a fitting climax to the set. Its first movement (Vivace) is somewhat corrente-like, with delicately traced passage-work. The Andante that follows is distin...

This sonata in B flat major was only recently identified as a sonata by Bitti, since its manuscript in Dresden lacks the name of the composer. Bitti's authorship is not in doubt, however, especially s...