The Six Sonatas for Solo Violin are dedicated to six great violin virtuosos of the younger generation, serving as musical characterizations of these colleagues and friends.
Compositional Technique
Ysaÿe's Six Sonatas defy convention and incorporate advanced ideas of his time, ranging from quarter-tones to five and six-part chords.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Ysaÿe's sonatas are an homage to the cantabile quality of the violin, reflecting his constant warning to pupils that a good violinist should never forget to let the violin sing.
Composition History
Ysaÿe composed his Six Sonatas for Solo Violin, Op. 27, in 1923 at the age of 65, and they are considered the peak of his compositional work.
Performer Biography
Judith Ingolfsson, the performer on this album, won First Prize at the International Violin Competition in Indianapolis in 1998, marking the beginning of her international concert career.
Composer Biography
Eugène Ysaÿe, a leading figure in the music world and one of the greatest violin virtuosos of the early 20th century, was also an active composer.
Composition History
The cycle of sonatas was inspired by Ysaÿe hearing Hungarian violinist Joseph Szigeti's deeply penetrating and transparent interpretation of a Bach G minor sonata.
