Richard Strauss wrote his Violin Sonata in E flat in 1887, the same year he met soprano Pauline de Ahna, whom he later married, leading many to believe the work reflects this momentous event.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Violinist Danbi Um chose the pieces on this album because they have literary and spiritual connections, believing that music, like words, expresses emotions.
Compositional Technique
Ernest Bloch's 'Poème mystique' incorporates motifs from his Jewish Cycle, the Gregorian Credo, Mass Kyrie, and traditional Amen, creating spiritual contrasts.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Ernest Bloch's Violin Sonata No.2, 'Poème mystique', was conceived as a counterpoint to his earlier, more 'torturous' Violin Sonata No.1, representing 'the world as it should be'.
Instruments
Violinist Danbi Um performs on a 1683 'ex-Petschek' Nicolo Amati violin, which is on loan from a private collection.
Compositional Technique
Richard Strauss's Violin Sonata in E flat captures a symphonic sound, with sections that sound like an entire violin section and others that have the intimacy of a song.
Album & Artwork
This album, Danbi Um's second solo recording, explores poetry and art song as thematic threads, following her debut album, Much Ado (2023).
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