Classical Music | Violin Music

Recorded on 06/13/2012, uploaded on 11/27/2012

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

Like many composers of the 19^th century, Richard Strauss produced a fair amount of chamber music in his earlier years as a composer, touching upon the major genres of the string quartet, the piano trio and quartet, and the solo sonata. However, with the composition of his Sonata for Violin in E-flat major in 1887, Strauss curiously exited, for the most part, the world of chamber music. Throughout the remainder of his career, he produced little that was of considerable import, and even less that were truly original compositions. Nevertheless, Strauss’s sudden adieu to chamber music is a worthy piece in its own right, and though it may not be ranked with the greatest essays in the genre from composers such as Beethoven and Brahms, it is nonetheless frequently performed and recorded.

The composition of the Sonata for Violin more or less overlaps with that of the symphonic fantasy Aus Italien and the tone poem Don Juan, as well as the beginning of his love affair with the operatic soprano Pauline de Ahna, whom he would later marry, and all three influences can be heard in the luscious melodies and beautiful lyricism of the piece. Despite being a sonata written by a composer aligned with the so-called “New German School” of the great feud that engulfed classical music in the latter half of the 19^th century, it is a rather Classically designed piece, laid out in three movements, as opposed to the four-movement symphonic structure that had become commonplace, and which follow the usual ordering.

The first movement, in the usual sonata form, opens with a heroic idea announced by the piano, answered by the violin, and later followed by a beautifully lyrical second subject in the dominant key. Following this dramatic first movement, the middle Andante cantabile is further marked as an “improvisation.” Curiously, the movement displays little of what might be considered “improvisatory,” but is instead a hauntingly beautiful movement, led by the violin’s enchanting song, and carried along by a superb craftsmanship. The piano gives an eerie Andante introduction to open the Finale, before erupting into a heroic Allegro, and is soon after joined by eruptions of joy from the soloist in the form of rising sixteenth-note passages. The movement is pervaded by a sense of urgency, but it is not without its moments of lyrical beauty that recall the tone of the previous movements. With fervent energy and a final statement of the opening theme, the sonata comes to a heroic, symphonic ending.        Joseph DuBose

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Sonata for Violin in E-flat Major, Op. 18  Richard Strauss

This sonata, written between 1887 and 1888, follows standard Classical form. However, the lyricism, time changes, tempo changes, and contrasting rhythms lead one to sense a great deal of Romanticism behind the inspiration of its writing.  Perhaps some of this reflects the love affair begun during this time with Pauline de Ahna, a soprano Strauss would later marry.  But more probably, the Romanticism foreshadows ideas by which his later work would be characterized. The sonata, full of youthful energy, juxtaposes reflective passages with those of fanfare.  The distinctive dotted note motif, followed by 16th or 8th notes and then triplets, ties the Sonata together, as this pattern emerges in the first few notes of the piece and reemerges later in the third movement. The second movement, titled Improvisation: Andante cantabile, allows for a departure from the strict rhythmic patterns of the first and third movements, and opens with lyricism resulting in meditative moments for both instruments. The finale returns to the familiar rhythmic pattern with grandiose moments giving both performers the opportunity for virtuosity.       Joanna Marie Frankel

Courtesy of International Music Foundation.