ARABELLA STEINBACHER & ROBERT KULEK Sonatas for Violin
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ARABELLA STEINBACHER & ROBERT KULEK Sonatas for Violin and Piano by César Franck and Richard Strauss César Franck (1822-1890) Violin sonatas by onward, Jules Pasdeloup had been strained, ultimately leading, in 1870, composers as Richard Wagner and Sonata for Piano and Violin in A (1886) organising the Concerts populaires to the Franco-Prussian War. Such a Franz Liszt, such a project should 6.32 César Franck and of the Association des concerts situation naturally provided an ideal probably be taken with a grain of 1 Allegretto moderato 8.10 Pasdeloup. In contrast, chamber breeding ground for the development salt. 2 Allegro 7.42 Richard Strauss music enjoyed a somewhat lower of French cultural nationalism. 3 Recitativo-Fantasia – Moderato 6.26 status in French musical life, and And on 25 February 1871 – the day Among the works performed at the 4 Allegretto poco mosso César Franck was, for many, synonymous with before France would negotiate an first concert of the Société nationale light salon music, this despite the armistice with Germany, and shortly de musique on 17 November 1871, was Richard Strauss (1864-1949) On 5 January 1875, the new opera best efforts of such institutions as before the German army would the Piano Trio in B-flat major, Op. 1, Sonata for Violin and Piano in E-flat, Op. 18 (1887) house designed by Charles Garnier the Société des Derniers Quatuors march triumphantly through the No. 2 of César Franck, and through 11.25 was inaugurated in Paris: an de Beethoven and the Séances Champs-Élysées – Camille Saint- the years, many of his chamber works 5 Allegro, ma non troppo 8.18 important event in a city so devoted populaires de musique de chambre. Saëns, together with a number would be heard at the concerts. In 6 Improvisation – Andante cantabile 9.27 to opera and ballet. In the shortest of colleagues, brought into being 1886, a power struggle developed 7 Finale – Andante – Allegro of times, the new Palais Garnier It had long been a thorn in the the Société nationale de musique. concerning whether the organisation 58.10 became the musical epicentre of side of many a French composer Succinctly summing up its aims should also promote works of foreign Total playing time the French capital. This is not to that in France, instrumental music in the rallying cry, Ars gallica, the provenance. Camille Saint-Saëns left Arabella Steinbacher, Violin say that instrumental music was was primarily associated with the society’s foremost objectives were to the society, and was succeeded by Robert Kulek, Piano being neglected: since 1828, François Viennese classics. Added to this was give French symphonic and chamber Franck as president. But despite the Habeneck had been organising the the fact that, politically speaking, music a more important place in the demands that had been placed on Ms. Steinbacher currently plays the “Booth” Stradivari (1716) concerts of the Société des concerts relations between France, and country’s musical life and to curb him by the political feud of that year, generously provided by the Nippon Music Foundation. du Conservatoire, at which, among Germany (whose ‘Iron Chancellor’, German influences on French music. in the summer of 1886, Franck found other works, the symphonies of in his push for expansion, had However, as at the time, no one, the time to write some of his most This album has been recorded at the Concertboerderij Valthermond, Beethoven had been introduced to already brought Austria under his including Saint-Saëns, was able to important compositions, including The Netherlands in May 2012. the French public. And from 1861 domination) had become highly resist the influence of such German the symphonic poem, Psyché, as well English as his most popular work, the Violin Sadly, though, there is no definitive Franck’s violin sonata is epic in idol, Beethoven. Correspondingly, functions as a kind of rest period, Richard Strauss Sonata in A major. proof for this assertion. Cellists who character. Its chromaticism and use the initial motif in the piano and first after which the stormy music from do perform the sonata normally use of the so-called cyclical or germ- phrases in the violin in the sonata’s the movement’s beginning returns. If we exchange Paris for the German Franck had already begun work on a the edition by Jules Delsart, approved cell technique clearly reflect the first movement form the thematic The quasi-improvisational third camp – Munich, to be precise, – we violin sonata in 1858, on the occasion by the composer. Ysaÿe performed influence of Wagner, which is not nucleus of the entire work. From it movement, Recitativo – Fantasia, encounter a young, 23-year-old of the marriage of Franz Liszt’s the sonata for the very first time for very surprising, since, during the emerges a songlike theme (with the is the most original of the sonata’s composer/conductor, who is about (illegitimate) daughter, Cosima, the assembled wedding guests on the same period, Franck was working respective indications, molto dolce, four movements. It is based primarily to turn the music world upside down to conductor Hans von Bülow. The morning of his wedding day. The first on two operas, Hulda and Ghiselle, dolcissimo and sempre dolce), which on material from the preceding with his symphonic poem, Don Juan. work would never become more than public performance of the work was in both of which he made liberal gradually increases in intensity. A movements. For example, the But that’s getting a bit ahead of our sketches, but Franck may have used to take place on 16 December 1886 use of such Wagnerian techniques second theme, in the piano, provides beginning of the piano part, despite story…. these in 1886 for the violin sonata he at the Museum of Modern Painting in as the Leitmotiv. The approach contrast, but an elaboration of an apparent connection to the first wrote to celebrate another wedding, Brussels, at the end of a long concert employed by Franck in several of his neither idea ensues, giving this movement’s initial three notes, is In 1886, Richard Strauss was that of the great Belgian violin programme. When it was finally time compositions is strongly related to first movement the character of derived from the start of the Allegro. appointed third Kapellmeister of virtuoso, Eugène Ysaÿe, and Louise for the sonata to be performed, the that of the Leitmotiv and is based on an introduction to the following The Finale is in rondo form. Its Munich’s court opera. A year later, Bourdeau de Coutrai. Incidentally, hall was already shrouded in twilight. the principle that all of the themes in Allegro. In this second movement, principal theme, arranged as a canon his symphonic fantasy, Aus Italien, there is evidence that Franck for a Unfortunately enough for Ysaÿe and an instrumental composition must be the phrases of the violin and piano for the two instruments, is based on inspired by a journey to Italy, was time seriously considered arranging his pianist, Léontine Bordes-Pène, developed from a limited number of roll passionato over one another the first tones of the first movement. given its first performance. In the the sonata for cello. If we are to the museum’s direction refused to musical motifs, as a way of providing like waves. The theme of the first The ensuing ‘strophes’ also feature same year, the young Strauss made believe the reports of Ysaÿe’s son, allow artificial light to be used, due a work’s structure with unity and movement also reappears, thus themes from the preceding the acquaintance of conductors Hans Antoine, a cello part did once exist in to the fragile paintings on display, so cohesion. The technique was not reinforcing the impression that this movements. The stretto brings the von Bülow and Gustav Mahler, as well manuscript. In a letter dating from that they had no other choice than to that new – the so-called idée fixe of movement is a continuation of the work to a brilliant and virtuosic as a young singer, who later would 1968, Pablo Casals wrote that Ysaÿe premiere the sonata in a pitch-dark Berlioz’ Symphonie fantastique is a preceding one. Midway through the conclusion, in which snippets of become his wife: Pauline de Ahna. had told him that Franck had in fact hall. forerunner of it, and Berlioz, for his Allegro, Franck introduces a new idea thematic material heard earlier are And although the daily tasks of a composed a version with cello. part, had derived it from his great (poco più lento, quasi lento), which juxtaposed. third Kapellmeister at the court opera were anything but glamorous, were incidentally composed around and familiar with these, and those of brilliant instrumentation and use of The Finale starts with a slow farewell recital in Los Angeles on 23 things were clearly looking up for the same time as his. He had first Schopenhauer, through the patient counterpoint all look forward toward introduction in the piano, followed by October 1972, the sonata was once Strauss. This is indeed reflected in the met Brahms while an assistant to efforts of Alexander Ritter, who Don Juan and the compositions a stormy Allegro whose beginning is again on the programme, beside that Violin Sonata which he composed in Hans von Bülow in Meiningen, and demonstrated to me that it had been which follow it. The sonata’s large- reminiscent of Don Juan. of… César Franck. 1887. It would, with the exception of from then on came increasingly Beethoven who had expanded the scale first movement is in sonata the string sextet at the beginning of under the spell of both composer and sonata form to its furthest limits and form.