For her first release on Chandos, Francesca Dego pays homage to
Niccolò Paganini with a recording of works inspired by the great
violinist. Dego plays Paganini’s violin, the legendary ‘il Cannone’
made by Guarneri del Gesù in 1743, one of the most important
musical instruments in the history of Western music which has been
heard on record just a handful of times. The album is due for release
in late February.
Future projects include the Mozart concertos with Sir Roger
Norrington and the RSNO.
Francesca writes:
‘I have listened to Chandos recordings for as long as I can remember, always
admiring the label’s insightful repertoire choices and superb sound quality so
I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining the family as an exclusive artist! I can’t wait
to share our first inspiring projects, including a rare opportunity to showcase
Paganini’s violin “il Cannone” in a wide variety of repertoire close to my heart,
ranging from Rossini to Schnittke, and a recording of Mozart Concerti with one
of my musical heroes: Sir Roger Norrington!’
Ralph Couzens, managing director of Chandos Records comments:
‘I am delighted that Francesca Dego has joined our small but important roster
of exclusive artists, all of whom have something very special and unique to say
musically. Francesca is producing some inspirational performances that
Chandos has plans to capture in the years to come, starting with the wonderful
program recorded on Paganini’s own violin. We look forward to many great
projects together.’