Richard Strauss
Violin Sonata in E Flat major,
Op. 18 No. 1 (1887-88)
Allegro ma non troppo
Improvisation: Andante cantabile
Finale: Andante - Allegro
Program Notes
Richard Strauss was in his early 20s when he completed the Sonata in E Flat, and although he was going to go on composing for a further 60 years, he never returned to chamber music. The Violin Sonata is, thus, unique in his output. The writing reveals that his true allegiance was to the orchestra, and the grandiose conception of the two parts demand of the players almost concerto-like power and projection. The opening Allegro has a broad sweep and achieves a climax that is almost operatic in proportion. After an enormous development section, the recapitulation begins with a new and more peaceful mood. The slow movement was actually completed in 1888, a year after the rest of the score. The central Andante, in the manner of a 'song without words', has an elegance and grace which impart to it a special place in Strauss's oevre, and which has led to its frequent performance as an independent piece (under the title Improvisation). The dramatic middle section of this movement alludes to Schubert's Erlkönig, while the coda suggests Beethoven's Pathetique sonata. The lush finale opens with a sombre piano introduction, but gives way to scintillating and surging rhetoric, giving both performers opportunities for display.
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