NEW RECORDINGS

OUT NOW | VC Artist Francisco Fullana's New CD: "Bach's Long Shadow"

May 28, 2021

3 MIN READ

Built around Bach's Partita for Solo Violin No. 3 in E major, the album also features works by Ysaÿe, Albéniz, Tárrega, and Kreisler

Orchid Classics has announced the release of VC Artist Francisco Fullana's new album entitled "Bach's Long Shadow."

The disc features Ysaÿe's Sonata for solo violin in A minor Op. 27 No. 2, Bach's Partita for solo violin No. 3 in E major, Albéniz' Asturias, Tárrega's Recuerdos de la Alhambra, Kreisler's Recitative & Scherzo Caprice, and Ysaÿe's Sonata in A minor for Two Violins with VC Artist Stella Chen.

"Bach’s influence over western classical music has been huge in so many ways over the past 300 years," Francisco told The Violin Channel. "As a violinist, I was especially curious about how his Sonatas and Partitas shape the whole solo violin genre.

"Exploring the connections between Bach and those who wrote for solo violin after him is something that I had been doing in solo recital programs prior to the pandemic. Being completely alone on stage with your violin teaches you a lot about the music and about yourself. It felt important to me to capture the lessons I had learned from those experiences onto a disc — a snippet of a moment in my journey as an artist.

"At the same time, my recordings and performances are always influenced by my life story. Playing the violin to me involves a constant search to bring my emotional memories back to life and allow myself to be vulnerable in front of an audience. From playing Kreisler on his own Guarneri to playing music I grew up listening to in Spain, the works on this album aren’t just connected to each other, but also connected to Francisco the human being.

"My hope is twofold: On one hand, I hope the listeners realize the incredible evolution of violin playing from Bach to today. We still are playing on instruments made during his lifetime yet the sound and techniques we use today are so radically different. Listening to Bach on gut strings juxtaposed with Ysaÿe’s Obsession — on the same instrument and played by the same person — hopefully, brings that immense contrast to light.

"On the other hand, I hope that as listeners sit down to listen to the album for the first time, the music takes them on a journey through their own memories and adding a new perspective to them. By pushing myself to be vulnerable, I am simply trying to facilitate that journey. A journey unique to each person pressing the play button and listening to 'Bach’s Long Shadow.' "