Violin Sonata (Debussy)
Encyclopedia
The Violin Sonata
in G minor, L 140, for violin
and piano
was composed by Claude Debussy
in 1917. It was the composer's final composition (he died in 1918), forming the third work in what had originally been conceived as a cycle of six sonatas for various instruments (the first two being the cello sonata
, L 135, and the sonata for flute, viola and harp, L 137). The work is notable for its brevity; a typical performance lasts about 13 minutes. The premiere took place on 5 May 1917, the violin part played by Gaston Poulet, with Debussy himself at the piano. It was his last public performance.
:
Violin sonata
A violin sonata is a musical composition for violin, which is nearly always accompanied by a piano or other keyboard instrument, or by figured bass in the Baroque period.-A:*Ella Adayevskaya**Sonata Greca for Violin or Clarinet and Piano...
in G minor, L 140, for violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
was composed by Claude Debussy
Claude Debussy
Claude-Achille Debussy was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures working within the field of impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions...
in 1917. It was the composer's final composition (he died in 1918), forming the third work in what had originally been conceived as a cycle of six sonatas for various instruments (the first two being the cello sonata
Cello Sonata (Debussy)
The Cello Sonata is a late work by the French composer Claude Debussy. It was the first of a planned series of 'Six sonates pour divers instruments', however Debussy only completed two others, the sonata for violin and the sonata for flute, viola and harp. The sonata for cello and piano was written...
, L 135, and the sonata for flute, viola and harp, L 137). The work is notable for its brevity; a typical performance lasts about 13 minutes. The premiere took place on 5 May 1917, the violin part played by Gaston Poulet, with Debussy himself at the piano. It was his last public performance.
Movements
The work has three movementsMovement (music)
A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...
:
- Allegro vivo
- Intermède: Fantasque et léger
- Finale: Très animé
Selected recordings
- Janáček, Debussy, Poulenc, Ježek: Violin sonatas. Supraphon CD (SU 3547-2 101). Josef SukJosef Suk (violinist)Josef Suk was a Czech violinist, violist, chamber musician and conductor, the grandson of Josef Suk, the composer and violinist, and great-grandson of Antonín Dvořák. In his home country he carried the title of National Artist....
- violin, Jan PanenkaJan PanenkaJan Panenka was a Czech pianist. He recorded many of Beethoven's works, and he played for many years with the Suk Trio.- Life :...
- piano
See also
External links
- Recording performed by Nicola BenedettiNicola Benedetti- Early life and the Yehudi Menuhin School :Benedetti was born in West Kilbride, North Ayrshire to an Italian father and a Scottish mother. She started to learn the violin at the age of four...
, violin and Julien Quentin, piano from the Isabella Stewart Gardner MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner MuseumThe Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum or Fenway Court, as the museum was known during Isabella Stewart Gardner's lifetime, is a museum in the Fenway-Kenmore neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, located within walking distance of the Museum of Fine Arts and near the Back Bay Fens...
in MP3MP3MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
format