Grieg considered all three of his violin sonatas among his finest works, with the third being his personal favorite.
Composition History
Grieg's Violin Sonata No. 3 in C Minor took several months to complete, much longer than his previous two sonatas, which each took only a few weeks.
Composer Biography
Grieg composed his Violin Sonata No. 2 in G Major just one month after marrying his cousin, the singer Nina Hagerup, describing its creation as being in 'the euphoria of my honeymoon.'
Composition History
Grieg's first violin sonata, written in 1865 when he was 22, brought him to the attention of Franz Liszt, who praised the work and invited Grieg to Weimar.
Compositional Technique
Grieg often bent the rules of classical sonata form, as seen in the finale of his Violin Sonata No. 3, where he dispensed with the prescribed development section.
Instruments
Violinist Haik Kazazyan performs on a Stradivarius violin from 1723, known as the 'Ex-Wieniawski.'
Composer's Artistic Vision
Grieg's Violin Sonata No. 2 was criticized by Danish composer Niels Gade for being 'too Norwegian,' to which Grieg responded that his next sonata would be 'even more Norwegian.'
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To the Spring
Zum 150. Geburtstag - Edvard Grieg - Werke für Violine und Klavier
