For many, the name of J G Pisendel is just a name from the recesses of musical history. It is thought that his playing inspired J S Bach to write his Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin, and we know that several composers wrote works for him, including Vivaldi, Telemann and Albinoni. There is an anecdote about an argument between him and Veracini which ends with Veracini jumping out of a first floor window!

What has inspired me about him in particular is the huge number of interesting works copied in his beautifully clear hand in the Dresden Library, available for viewing at IMSLP. There are Vivaldi concertos with his annotations for decorative work, interpretation of arpeggios and additional brilliant passage-work which are fascinating: a real wealth of ideas for the modern violinist.

Take, for example, the D major Concerto RV 213 in D major. This manuscript features suggestion after suggestion for performing arpeggio passages, embellishments and even enriching the scoring.

There are over 30 Vivaldi concertos, a dozen anonymous concertos and concertos by Albinoni, Somis, Tessarini, Torelli, Telemann, Visconti, Schreyfogel, Alberti, Matteis (junior?), Pfeiffer, Hornick, Frey and Brescianello.

Currently, manuscripts of sonatas for violin and continuo include 27 anonymous ones, 15 by Franz Benda, 11 by Vivaldi, 7 by Tartini, 5 by Visconti and single sonatas by Geminiani?, Albicastro, Bach, Bibaglia, Heinichen, Hunt, Montanari, Schreyfogel and Torelli.

This represents a marvelous cross-section of music performed in Dresden and while some of these works are available elsewhere, some are the sole surviving copies. For example, the Heinichen Sonata exists elsewhere, but with very different 3rd and 4th movements. (now published by Camel Music.) And the lovely Bach C minor Sonata - could that really be by anyone else?

This is great resource worth exploring! Do ask if there is any particular work you would welcome in a modern edition!