Johann Georg Pisendel (1687-1755) was born into a musical family (his father was Cantor), and from an early age he received lessons as a chorister and in violin, his teacher being the famous Giuseppe Torelli. Further studies brought him to Weimar where he met Johann Sebastian Bach (his near-contemporary) and Leipzig, where he met Telemann. In 1712 he joined the famous court orchestra of Dresden, where he stayed till his death in 1755.

The acquaintance and friendship of the two musical giants of the time, Bach and Telemann, left a firm imprint on him as a composer and violinist. On the other hand Pisendel’s astonishing virtuosity influenced Bach to a great extent, Bach’s solo violin sonatas & partitas would not have been the same without Pisendel.

This new recording presents three violin sonatas and one violin solo sonata by Pisendel, works of staggering technical demands, rich in harmony and freedom of expression. As interludes we hear solo lute works by Silvius Leopold Weiss.

Played with immense dedication and conviction by young Polish violinist Tomasz Aleksander Plusa, who studied with Lucy van Dael, Christoph Rousset, Simon Standage, Sigiswald Kuijken and others.