The Violin Sonata, according to the composer, was meant to express a longing for an inward, profound truth not found in everyday life, but in the emotional depths of the human spirit.
Compositional Technique
The three movements of Medtner's sonata bear the striking titles Canzona, Danza, and Ditirambo, with 'Dithyrambos' referring to an ancient Greek choral song honoring the god Dionysos.
Compositional Technique
Franck's Violin Sonata uses a technique called 'idée fixe', cyclically linking its four movements through motivic work, with a motif from the first movement's opening theme reappearing in varied forms.
Composition History
César Franck dedicated his Violin Sonata, his best-known work, to his friend Eugène Ysaÿe on the occasion of the violinist's marriage.
Compositional Technique
Medtner's Sonata for Violin and Piano in B minor features harmonic complexity and a deep contrapuntal texture, requiring performers to balance the violin and piano, which engage as equal partners.
Cultural Impact
Grieg's Third Violin Sonata is culturally significant, even being mentioned by Thomas Mann in his novel 'Doktor Faustus'.
Composer Biography
Nikolai Medtner, a Russian-trained pianist of Scandinavian-German descent, mainly composed piano works, with only three violin sonatas existing despite his wife being a trained violinist.
