Almost every violinist comes into contact with the violin concertos of Joseph Haydn. Which one has not practised his cheerful G major Concerto? However, these wonderful gems of Haydn’s extensive oeuvre are nowadays rarely heard on the concert stage.

After the death of Haydn, his violin concertos unfortunately became used more as study material for young violinists than concert pieces. Perhaps this is due to the lack of a certain grandeur, lack of ‘showiness’, and obvious virtuosity for the violin soloist, but these concertos are Haydn at his best; full of simplicity, elegance and an abundance of charm.

The transparency of these works actually makes them a great challenge for performers. Initially written for the Esterhazys and presumably for the solo violinist of the court ensemble at that time, Luigi Tomasini, this CD will draw the listener back into the 18th century. As was common for the time, Lisa Jacobs has written her own cadenzas for these concertos in which she briefly expresses her thoughts on the musical material and adds a shimmer of her own personality to every movement.

“Dutch violinist Lisa Jacobs performs three of Locatteli’s concertos with bold characterization, and meets their formidable technical challenges with commendable athleticism and elan.” – The Strad, 2017