Born into a family of musicians in the same year as Bach, Handel and Scarlatti, Ludovico Giustini worked as an organist and maestro di cappella but sadly very few of his compositions from this post survive. He is chiefly remembered for his Sonate da cimbalo di piano e forte detto volgarmente di martelletti, Op. 1, the first known work to have been specifically composed for the pianoforte. Newly invented, few such instruments existed at the time, but its expressive nuances ultimately saw it take over from the harpsichord. Giustini’s sonatas take the best of both worlds with their alternation of fast and slow movements from the sonata da chiesa, and dance forms from the sonata da camera. This is the first recording of a selection of the Op. 1 Sonatas on a modern concert grand.