SKU: BT.PWM8613
Sonata in D minor is Szymanowski's earliest violin work and was written in 1904. In its conventional character one clearly feels the dependence on the violin sonatas of Franck ahd Brahms and the composer's desire to master the traditional, three-movement cyclic form. Sonata for violin and piano (arranged for cello by Kazimierz Wi komirski), a juvenile work, in spite of the fact that its style is still not crystallised, betrays the composer's growing interest in tone colour and foreshadows the bold and rich melodic line characteristic of Szymanowski's later works.
SKU: BR.EB-9406
ISBN 9790004188804. 9 x 12 inches.
Raff's Cello Sonata op. 183 appeared in print in late 1873; at a time when Raff's success was at its zenith with Symphonies Nos. 3 and 5 as well as many chamber works. Little is known about the circumstances of its genesis and possible performances. Since Raff did not dedicate this sonata to any distinguished artist, unlike most of his other chamber works, it apparently lacked a drawing card for distribution. While Raff composed several well-known works for violin and piano, the present cello sonata is one of his few outstanding works for cello and piano. Incidentally, in the first edition, the score is headed for piano and cello, as was quite often the case in the 19th century, for instance also with Brahms's sonatas. This is also evident in the music: Cello and piano are equal partners that develop the musical material and are challenged both technically and artistically. This current edition contains an Urtext cello part as well as a part with markings by Claus Kanngiesser. In collaboration with the Joachim-Raff-Archiv Lachen (CH)With a preface by Severin Kolb. Contains 2 cello parts.
SKU: BT.YE0009
Very little is known about the two sonatas which appear here in their original keys. They were placed in the library of the Music School in Oxford at the end of the seventeenth century in a form convenient for playing (i.e.unbound). The library was catalogued by Hake between 1850 and 1855 and the sonatas were eventually bound in 1855 with other instrumental and vocal manuscripts of the same period, some of which are dated 1698.The sonatasare both inscribed on the title page Sonata Violone Solo. Col Basso per l'Organo, o Cembalo. A third sonata bears the words Sonata Violino e Violoncino â?¦ di Giovannino del Violone. Giovannino (=Little, or Young John)musthave been a performer, and although the third sonata has been copied by a different hand, it is conceivable that Giovannino is a connecting link between the three. He cannot, however, be assumed to be theirauthor.The Violone was a six-stringed instrument with frets, and there is evidence to suggest that the Contrabasso of the same period was similar but probably a little larger; the Violoncino (=Little Violone, orVioloncello) must have been smaller. The word 'Violone' was also used as a collective term embracing all members of the Viol family, which means that the sonatas might well have been written for a tenor or a bass Viol, and notnecessarily a Violone as such. Indeed, when they are played on a Violone, or Double Bass the continuo bass line must be played at a lower pitch than the solo instrument, to prevent inversion of the intended harmony. (The use ofa Violone/Double Bass continuo or 16' organ tone would overcome this problem.)The editor has added no ornaments or embellishments to the solo part as it appears in the original manuscript. It is open to debate whether aViolone player, owing to the very nature of his instrument, would have used any but the simplest melodic decorations. Nevertheless, the performer should acquaint himself thoroughly with those seventeenth century traditions thatare known today (see Dart.
