Late Romantic: Music F... - Bruno Monteiro - Audio CD (Arrives in 50 days)

Ernst von Dohnányi, the Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor, created one of his most important and passionate chamber works with the Sonata for Violin and Piano in C-Sharp minor Op. 21. Composed in 1911–1912 (during his time teaching in Berlin) and first performed on April 11, 1912, the sonata was published in 1913 by N. Simrock in Hamburg. It is dedicated to the violinist and pedagogue Victor von Herzfeld. This is a mature, late-Romantic masterpiece that stands firmly in the tradition of Brahms's violin sonatas (especially the G major Op. 78), while incorporating Lisztian harmonic boldness and structural economy. There is no conventional slow movement — instead, Dohnányi creates emotional depth through thematic unity, cyclic interconnections, variation, and reminiscence across all three movements. The result is a passionate, tightly knit work full of sweeping lyricism, dramatic intensity, and virtuosic interplay. The sonata consists of three movements: Allegro appassionato - A powerful, dramatic sonata-form movement that opens with an anxious, brooding principal theme in the minor mode. This soon transforms into warmer, lyrical passages in the major. The development is intense and the recapitulation brings heightened passion. The violin writing is very demanding, with soaring lines and brilliant passagework;; Allegro ma con tenerezza - A lyrical, song-like movement of tender character that provides the emotional heart of the piece. It is playful yet intimate, offering contrast while maintaining forward momentum. Many commentators describe it as the 'slow' movement in spirit, despite the tempo marking;; Vivace assai - A spirited, energetic finale full of rhythmic drive, brilliance, and virtuosic fireworks. It brings the work to a brilliant, affirmative conclusion, often with cyclic references to earlier material. This sonata remains one of the great underappreciated treasures of the early-20th-century violin-piano repertoire: structurally masterful, deeply romantic, and rewarding for both performers and listeners. Leoš Janá ek's Sonata for Violin and Piano (also known as Violin Sonata, JW VII/7) is one of his most significant chamber works and his only surviving complete sonata for this combination of instruments. Janá ek first considered writing a violin sonata during his student years in Leipzig (1880) and Vienna, but those early attempts are lost. He returned to the genre much later, composing the main body of this sonata in the summer of 1914, at the outbreak of World War I. The composer himself linked its emotional intensity to the war, writing in 1922: '...in the 1914 Sonata for violin and piano I could just about hear sound of the steel clashing in my troubled head...' (referring to the imagined clash of armies, as he anticipated Russian forces advancing into Moravia). The work underwent extensive revisions over nearly eight years. An early version existed by 1915 (with four movements, and the second movement, Ballada, even published separately that year). Janá ek rearranged movements several times: the original finale was discarded and reworked, the Adagio moved to become the finale, and so on. The definitive four-movement form was completed in 1922. The premiere took place on April 24, 1922, at the Museum of Applied Arts in Brno (Czechoslovakia), performed by violinist František Kudlá ek and pianist Jaroslav Kvapil (a pupil of Janá ek and later a noted composer). It was published around that time and is now available in modern urtext editions (e.g., Bärenreiter). The sonata is in four movements, in the key of G-sharp minor (though it modulates freely and shows Janá ek's characteristic modal and folk-influenced harmony). Janá ek's mature style is evident: short, fragmented motifs repeated and juxtaposed (like 'speech melodies'), abrupt contrasts, rhythmic drive, and emotional intensity rather than traditional Romantic lyricism: Con moto — Energetic and agitated opening with a bold violin solo/cadenza-like start. It features driving rhythms, dramatic contrasts, and some impressionistic elements (Debussy-like piano writing and oriental-tinged motifs). The form nods to sonata-allegro but with Janá ek's terse, speech-like repetitions;; Ballada: Con moto — The most lyrical and romantic movement, calmer and song-like. It has a long, flowing main theme (almost folksong-like) with delicate, strummed piano accompaniment and a tender secondary melody. Often described as lullaby-like or deeply expressive;; Allegretto — A quirky, folk-infused scherzo (originally intended as a finale but repositioned). It has gypsy-like slides in the violin, a Russian-tinged opening theme (reminiscent of troika music from his opera Ká a Kabanová), and dance-like character with rhythmic vitality;; Adagio — Slow and intense finale. It begins pensively, builds to ferocious, muted violin outbursts, and ends with a grand, chorale-like coda (high on the violin's G string over piano tremolos), conveying deep emotion and resolution. The sonata exemplifies Janá ek's mature idiom: concise motifs, speech-rhythm inspiration, folk elements (Moravian influences), dramatic contrasts, and psychological depth. It's challenging for performers due to its fragmented textures, precise ensemble demands, and emotional range. While not as frequently played as his string quartets or operas, it's highly regarded in the 20th-century violin-piano repertoire. This sonata captures Janá ek's turbulent inner world during a pivotal historical moment, blending passion, folk roots, and modernist fragmentation into a powerful, concise statement. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Souvenir d’un lieu cher Op. 42 (Memory of a Dear Place / ) is a set of three lyrical pieces for violin and piano, composed in 1878. It is one of Tchaikovsky's most intimate and beloved chamber works for the combination, showcasing his gift for melody, emotional depth, and idiomatic writing for the violin. The work was written during a turbulent yet creatively fertile period in Tchaikovsky's life, shortly after the emotional crisis surrounding his brief, disastrous marriage to Antonina Milyukova in 1877 and his subsequent separation (facilitated financially by his patroness Nadezhda von Meck). In early 1878, Tchaikovsky traveled to Clarens, Switzerland, to recover and compose. The first piece, Méditation, was composed between March 23–25, 1878 (Julian calendar: March 11–13), in Clarens. It was originally intended as the slow movement of his Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 (which he was writing at the same time, with input from violinist Iosif Kotek). Tchaikovsky found it too slight or not fitting for the concerto's scale, so he replaced it with the Canzonetta and repurposed it for violin and piano. The remaining two pieces, Scherzo and Mélodie, were completed in May 1878 at Brailovo, the Ukrainian country estate of Nadezhda von Meck in the Poltava region. Tchaikovsky stayed there in seclusion, finding peace and inspiration. He dedicated the set to Brailovo itself — as a token of gratitude to von Meck. Tchaikovsky sent the original manuscript to von Meck as a gift, but requested a copy be made (by her household member W adys aw Pachulski) for publication. The work was published by P. Jurgenson in May 1879. Some older sources suggested the title Souvenir d’un lieu cher was posthumous, but modern scholarship, including recent Henle editions edited by Alexander Komarov, confirms Tchaikovsky used or intended it during his lifetime. No specific first performance date or performers are documented in surviving records. It was published in 1879 and has since become a staple of the violin repertoire, often performed as a set or with individual movements excerpted (especially the Mélodie and Méditation). The suite consists of three contrasting pieces in different keys. Tchaikovsky's style here is warmly Romantic: soaring melodies, rich harmonies, and expressive violin writing with cantabile lines, double stops, and subtle virtuosity: Méditation — The longest and most substantial movement. A deeply lyrical, song-like piece with a noble, melancholic main theme that builds to passionate climaxes before returning to serene introspection. It features beautiful cantabile writing and harmonic richness reminiscent of Tchaikovsky's ballets or symphonies;; Scherzo — A lively, stormy scherzo with rapid passagework, rhythmic drive, and folk-like energy. The trio section offers a contrasting, simpler, somewhat wistful melody with a touch of sadness;; Mélodie — Originally titled 'Chant sans paroles' (Song without Words). The most popular and frequently excerpted movement. A tender, flowing, vocalise-like melody over gentle piano accompaniment — pure, heartfelt lyricism in Tchaikovsky's most enchanting vein. These pieces capture Tchaikovsky at his most personal and melodic, blending Russian soulfulness with Western Romantic elegance.This charming, nostalgic set beautifully encapsulates Tchaikovsky's melodic genius and his ability to evoke deep emotion in miniature forms. Camille Saint-Saëns's Introduction et Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28 (Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A minor) is one of his most popular and dazzling concert pieces for violin and orchestra. It is a staple of the virtuoso violin repertoire, blending elegant lyricism with brilliant display and Spanish-flavored flair. Saint-Saëns composed the work in 1863 (some sources note sketches from earlier that year, with completion in November 1864). At age 28, he was already an established figure in French music but still early in his career as a composer of major works. Originally, the Rondo section was conceived as the finale for his Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 20 (1860), but Saint-Saëns detached it, added a new slow introduction, and developed it into a standalone concertante piece. He dedicated it to the young Spanish violin virtuoso Pablo de Sarasate (then about 15–19 years old during the composition/premiere period), whom he met and befriended. Sarasate became a champion of Saint-Saëns's violin music, and the composer later credited him for much of its success: 'If my violin music was so successful, I owe it to him...' The piece reflects Saint-Saëns's admiration for Sarasate's dazzling technique and his own elegant, classical French style infused with Romantic virtuosity and subtle exoticism (here, Hispanic influences in the rondo's rhythms and character). The premiere took place on April 4, 1867, in Paris (at the Champs-Élysées or a related venue), with Pablo de Sarasate as soloist and Camille Saint-Saëns conducting the orchestra. Its immediate success as a brilliant showpiece led Saint-Saëns to publish it separately rather than reintegrate it into the concerto. The violin-and-piano reduction (arranged by Georges Bizet at Saint-Saëns's request) was first published by Hartmann in 1870. The piece is divided into two main sections: Introduction - Andante malinconico — A lyrical, plaintive opening where the violin sings a beautiful, elegant melody over gentle orchestral support. It is introspective and melancholic, with refined expressiveness typical of Saint-Saëns's 'cool' Romanticism (not overly passionate). The mood is meditative, with subtle harmonic richness;; Rondo Capriccioso — The main virtuosic section in rondo form (ABACADA...). It bursts into lively, capricious energy with Spanish-inspired rhythms (castanet-like effects, habanera-like inflections, gypsy flair). The violin displays fireworks: rapid scales, arpeggios, chromatic runs, double stops, high positions, spiccato, harmonics, and brilliant passagework. Saint-Saëns plays with rhythmic instability (syncopated rising arpeggios alternating with descending figures) for excitement. It builds to a thrilling coda with accelerating tempo and dazzling close. The contrast between the serene introduction and the exuberant rondo creates a perfect showpiece: poetic introspection followed by pyrotechnics. This work exemplifies Saint-Saëns's strengths: clarity, elegance, formal balance, and brilliant orchestration combined with idiomatic violin writing. It influenced later French violin showpieces (e.g., by Lalo, Sarasate himself) and remains a favorite for its accessibility to audiences and technical rewards for performers. It highlights the 19th-century vogue for Spanish exoticism in classical music. It is performed here with piano accompaniment with Bizet’s excellent reduction. This sparkling miniature concerto remains one of Saint-Saëns's most enduring and joyful contributions to the violin literature, capturing both French refinement and fiery virtuosity. Bruno Monteiro

Label: Etcetera | Origin: Holland