Presents
Edward Elgar
Violin Sonata in e minor, Op.82
Elgar's Violin Sonata in e minor, which dates from 1919, is the second of two. The first was composed some 32 years earlier. The first movement, Allegro, begins in a mood of anger and frustration as the music rises to the highest registers only to plunge into the depths of the lowest. A second subject is more lyrical and tranquil. The middle movement, entitled Romance andante, turns down the temperature and is not full of the drama found in the first movement. The central section expresses grief and sorrow. The finale, Allegro non troppo, is brighter and more upbeat.
Edward Elgar (1857-1934), one of England’s best known composers, needs little introduction. He is generally known for his large scale works such as the Enigma Variations, the Dream of Gerontius, Pomp and Circumstance, and his violin and cello concertos. But few people realize that he wrote some first rate chamber music, including a piano quintet, a string quartet and this sonata.
Hailed as a masterwork by critics at the time, this sonata deserves to be heard in recital and should be of interest to both professionals and amateurs.
Parts: $24.95
