Schubert - Grand Duo

F. Schubert, Sonata n. 4 in la magg. op. 162 D 574 “Grand Duo“
L. Janáček, Sonata n. 3 per violino e pianoforte VII/7
S. Rachmaninoff, Romance da Morceaux de salon op. 6
C. Franck, Sonata in la magg.

The evening opens with Franz Schubert’s Sonata in A major, composed in August 1817, when the composer was in his early twenties. It was published posthumously in 1857. The title too, “Gran Duo”, reflects a widespread habit at that time to illustrate the type of composition. The only one remaining of the three sonatas for violin and piano by the Czech composer Leoš Janáček, no. 3 was completed after a long gestation, started in 1913 and only finished in 1921. With its rich mixture of moods, the sonata shows that original style that marked some of the most important composers of the 20th century.
After the interval tonight we shall hear Rachmaninov’s youthful Romance from his op. 6, paying tribute to the anniversary of the great Russian artist who was naturalized American. Closing the evening is one of Cesar Franck’s masterful duos for violin and piano. The Sonata he completed in 1886, and dedicated to Eugène Ysaÿe. This marked an important peak in the Belgian composer’s output. The perfection of this outstanding work lies in the admirable balance between the parts, combined with the marvellous expressive register that Franck managed to evoke in the formal structure of the sonata.
Tonight’s program highlights the talents of the Russian violinist Alëna Baeva, an international star, and the pianist Dmitry Ablogin.