Petite Ecole de la Melodie

Born in Saluzzo, Piedmont, Guido Rimonda plays a 1721 Antonio Stradivari (the 'Jean-Marie Leclair') and a 1991 Dario Vernè. . He currently teaches violin at the Conservatory of Pavia. Born in Trieste, pianist and harpsichordist Cristina Canziani trained there at the Giuseppe Tartini Conservatory. In 1992 Canziani and Rimonda founded the Orchestra Camerata Ducale, dedicated to the music of Giovanni Battista Viotti.

Dancla's Petite École de la mélodie, Op. 123 receives its world premiere recording, and it is coupled by the Wagnerian influenced D minor Sonata for violin and piano by Saint-Saëns' D minor Sonata for violin and piano, and completed by Massenet's Meditation from his opera Thais performed in the arrangement for violin and piano.

French composer Dancla can be regarded as the last exponent of the classical French school of violin playing founded in the late 18th century by Viotti. One of Viotti's favourite students was indeed Pierre Baillot, himself Charles Dancla's most influential teacher. Petite Ecole de la melodie consists of twelve charming pieces for violin and piano and fully reflect the characteristics of the salon music popular at the end of the 19th century.