Sigurd Imsen: The Tartini Style

Field of study: Artistic Research (Violin)

In his research of The Tartini Style, Sigurd Imsen has explored the art and craft of the 18th century’s violinists. The study concentrates on the florid and highly personal ornamental style of Giuseppe Tartini, a style that was influential well into the 19th century. Imsen has sought to re-implement Tartini’s patterns of embellishments, as well as other stylistic features, as found in the historical material – primarily in Tartini’s obscure treatise of ornamentation. Imsen presents a new interpretation of the famous ‘Devil’s Sonata’, along with other works on baroque violin and Hardanger fiddle.

Documentation

Full title: The Tartini Style. An artistic survey of the violinist’s craft in the 18th century.

Artistic Result

The artistic results of Imsen’s artistic are presented as a recording of violin sonatas by Giuseppe Tartini, released on the label 2L in 2015.

Reflections

Sigurd Imsen's critical reflection is titled "The Tartini Style. An artistic survey of the violinist’s craft in the 18th century" (87 pages). This text accounts for the historical sources, methods and development of his performance.

The text is available in NMH’s digital archive Brage.