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Laying the groundwork for the development of the Classical style, Vivaldi’s and Bach’s compositions simultaneously crowned a king of instruments and defined the Baroque era. As Haydn and Mozart in turn crystallized the Classical tradition, the performers of their day likewise developed ever more sophisticated instrumental techniques. Such violinists as Giovanni Battista Viotti fueled these great composers’ innovations, empowering them to create music of heretofore unimagined subtlety and complexity. Alongside Vivaldi, Bach, Haydn, and Mozart, Disc II spotlights Viotti, who played a seminal role in defining the instrument’s tradition in England and France, as well as one of his musical heirs, Rodolphe Kreutzer.