Enesco's 3rd Sonata aims to revive the improvisatory practice of the gypsy violinist, focusing on the character, spirit, and spontaneity of folklore rather than a scientific approach.
Historical Context
The works on this album by Enesco, Martinu˚, and Mokranjac were composed between 1926 and 1952, a period marked by dramatic and depressing events for humanity.
Compositional Technique
Enesco's 3rd Sonata uses quarter-tones, bird calls, and croaking sounds not to paint a landscape, but to immerse the listener in the spirit of improvisation.
Composition History
Martinu˚'s Five Madrigal Stanzas were a spontaneous homage to Albert Einstein, who was an amateur violinist and admired Martinu˚'s work.
Composer Biography
Vasilije Mokranjac, a Serbian composer, was a solitary and tormented figure who left a small number of generally harrowing and tragic compositions before taking his own life.
Composer Biography
Bohuslav Martinu˚, a Czech composer, fled Paris in 1940 as an anti-fascist and later found his works often had a resolutely positive tone despite his exile.
Composer Biography
Georges Enesco, a Romanian child prodigy, was published as a composer at 17, played Beethoven's Violin Concerto at 18, and owned a Stradivarius through public subscription.
