Classical Music | Violin Music

Recorded on 10/19/2004, uploaded on 01/12/2009

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

Concert tours dominated the life of Mozart between the years of 1762 and 1779.  While the purpose of these journeys was primarily mercenary, the tours also gave the young Wolfgang opportunity to encounter a more cosmopolitan perspective of musical developments than what was normally available to him at home in Salzburg.  During his last tour, he became acquainted with six "duets" for harpsichord and violin by Joseph Schuster of Dresden.  Mozart was impressed with their structure in that the keyboard and violin form a true partnership rather than the earlier practice of one instrument accompanying the other.  He composed a set of six of his own sonatas for piano and violin, K. 301-306, which was published in Paris in November of 1778.  The passionate character of the fifth work of this group, the Sonata in e minor, K. 304 (1778) is unique among Mozart's works. It is important to note that the composer's mother suffered her last illness and death in Paris around the time of the composition of this two-movement piece.  The octaves of the opening establish a stark mood, followed by many contrasts of forte and piano, and syncopated and drumming-type passages.  The more peaceful minuet brightens a bit with the major key of the trio, but turbulence returns for the close.  Lei Hou

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Violin Sonata in e minor, K. 304          Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Having resigned his post in Salzburg, Mozart, accompanied by his mother, set out in search of new employment. His journey, which started in September 1777 and lasted until January 1789, took him to Mannheim, Paris and Munich. During this time, he composed six sonatas for piano and violin that were later published in Paris in 1778. The fourth of the set, the Sonata in E minor, K. 304, and the only one in a minor key, is often considered Mozart's musical response to the death of his mother in July 1778. Indeed, the sonata is at times intensely expressive, particularly in the tender melody of the last movement.

The two-movement sonata opens in an austere manner with a plaintive melody given in octaves by the two instruments. Following an intense outburst of grief, the melody is repeated again in the violin, with the special indication "espressivo," over a somber harmonic accompaniment in the piano. The second theme, though shifting to the key of the relative major, offers little in the way consolation and one can sense the dark cloud of the opening theme still overhead. Though well structured, the movement's sonata form seems at times that it will inevitably crack under its emotional strain. Interestingly, the recapitulation, after firmly grounding itself in the tonic key, comes to a close with a half cadence. A brief coda necessarily concludes the movement with a passage very similar to the closing of the first theme during the exposition.

The final movement, marked Tempo di Menuetto, comes off as resigned melancholy in the wake of the emotional first movement. Its languid melody is restrained but also of entrancing beauty, making the finale the better of the two movements. A brief moment of consolation is reached in the E major trio section. The chorale-like melody sounds like a solemn hymn and its subsequent repetition in the violin is quite tender. The respite is only temporary and a truncated restatement of the opening E minor section brings the sonata to a close.        Joseph DuBose

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Courtesy of International Music Foundation.

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