Violinist Francisco Fullana's Second Solo CD BACH'S LONG SHADOW to be Released

Award-winning Spanish-born violinist Francisco Fullana will release his second solo album for Orchid Classics this May 28, 2021. Titled Bach's Long Shadow, the recording is an intimate look into the impact and influence of Bach's work over a 300-year span and Fullana's personal journey as an artist.

In his liner notes, the artist writes, "The entirety of solo violin repertoire stands on the shoulders of Johann Sebastian Bach, whose monumental Sonatas and Partitas redefine the violin as a polyphonic instrument. Bach's Long Shadow explores the chain of influence and inspiration extending from Bach to other legendary artists over 300 years."

Technique, interpretation, and musical friendships, both in terms of the historical connections of the chosen works and the artist's own life are highlighted. Fullana elaborates, "Bach constructs a sonic cathedral that captures the beauty of the natural world in sound ....it fills us with unadorned awe.... My album juxtaposes baroque and modern bow, gut and steel strings, in its exploration of Bach's solo violin legacy."

Recorded in England on the 1735 "Mary Portman" ex-Kreisler Guarneri del Gesù violin, Bach's Long Shadow features Bach's Partita No.3 in E major for Solo Violin, BWV 1006, and two works by Eugène Ysaÿe, including Ysaÿe's second sonata in which the composer metamorphosizes Bach's original E major Partita into an obsessive display of virtuosity. The Recitativo & Scherzo, Op.6 by Fritz Kreisler -a dedicatee and muse of Ysaÿe, is performed on Kreisler's original violin. Two Spanish works from the 1890's, Isaac Albéniz's, Asturias (Leyenda), arranged by Patrick Loiseleur & Francisco Fullana, and Francisco Tárrega's Recuerdos de la Alhambra, arranged by Ruggiero Ricci, link back to Fullana's native country and his own family origins. Fullana, who enjoys success on both the modern and baroque stages, pays tribute to both styles in the album as he performs compositions spanning 300 years.

Joined by his close friend violinist Stella Chen in the encore, Ysaÿe's Sonata for Two Violins, Fullana returns to the overall theme of influence and inspiration as he writes, "To close this album, I pay tribute to a source of inspiration that has guided me in my artistic journey: my friendships with other violinists."

A digital EP introduction to the album will be released on May 14, 2021 (click here for more information.) The EP continues the theme of Bach's Long Shadow of contrasting old and new, featuring Bach's original Partita in D minor (Chaconne), performed on Baroque strings and bow, in juxtaposition to Spanish contemporary composer Joan Valent's 2010 tribute to Chaconne, Punta Campanella: Ciaconna, performed on modern strings and bow.

BACH'S LONG SHADOW

Orchid Classics ORC100165

RELEASE: May 28, 2021

Eugène Ysaÿe: Sonata for Solo Violin, Op.27, No.2 "Jacques Thibaud"

Johann Sebastian Bach: Partita No.3 in E major for Solo Violin, BWV 1006

Isaac Albéniz, arr. Patrick Loiseleur & Francisco Fullana: Asturias (Leyenda)

Francisco Tárrega, arr. Ruggiero Ricci: Recuerdos de la Alhambra

Fritz Kreisler: Recitativo & Scherzo, Op.6

Encore:

Eugène Ysaÿe: Sonata for Two Violins

Stella Chen & Francisco Fullana, violins