Violin Solo, Vol. 6

Featuring

Renate Eggebrecht
Eugène Ysaÿe
Joaquín Rodrigo

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Composer's Artistic Vision

Ysaÿe's six sonatas were conceived as a modern response to J. S. Bach's music for unaccompanied violin, aiming to renew its message while incorporating contemporary changes in music and violin playing.

Composition History

Ysaÿe dedicated his violin sonatas to six younger virtuosos, including Jozef Szigeti, Jacques Thibaud, Georges Enesco, Fritz Kreisler, Mathieu Crickboom, and Manuel Quiroga, as a gesture of thanks.

Composer Biography

Eugène Ysaÿe (1858-1931), a towering figure in musical performance, was initially influenced by violinists Vieuxtemps and Wieniawski in his youth.

Critical Reception

Despite Ysaÿe's historical significance, the stature of his compositions was often denied by critics, but a sonata from his Op. 27 was prescribed as a required piece for the Queen Elisabeth Foundation of Music's 'Ysaÿe Violin Competition' in 1937.

Recording & Production

This recording by Renate Eggebrecht is based on a scholarly-critical edition from Henle Verlag (2004) that incorporates Ysaÿe's personal alterations, offering his true 'definitive version' of the sonatas.

Composer's Artistic Vision

A goal for Ysaÿe in these sonatas was to depict the personality of each dedicatee, with characteristics ranging from 'suave rigor' to 'Spanish ardor'.

Composition History

Ysaÿe composed his Six Sonatas for Violin Solo in 1923-24, deeply impressed by a recital where Jozef Szigeti (a Hungarian violinist) played works by J. S. Bach.