Beethoven 250 - Violin Sonata n 2 - Drammen

Buy Tickets

The first concert in the series presented a young and searching Beethoven  and a mature Edvard Grieg. This program ends with the Brahms Scherzo   which is one of the movements of the sonata "Frei aber Einsam" - Robert Schumann's   birthday gift to his friend Joseph Joachim in 1853. Joachim was one of  the great violinists of the time, who also became a very important collaborator  for Brahms. The sonata was written by Schumann (2nd and last movement) and  Schumann's student Albert Dietrich (first movement) and therefore the young Brahms,  who wrote this virtuosic and dramatic scherzo .

Edvard Grieg's sonata in G major opus 13 (1865) has the nickname "den  norske" - understandable considering the tonal language that characterizes the sonata.  Funny enough, the main motif in the last movement of this sonata is the same as  Debussy uses in his violin sonata, written many years later. Likewise  Brahms makes use of the theme in Grieg's 2nd movement when he writes the second  part in movement number 2 of the A major sonata op 100 which will be performed later in _cc781905- 5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_this cycle.

In sonata number 4 in Ia - minor op 23 (1801) we meet a much more  developed Beethoven. This is a powerful and dense sonata, gripping in   expression and full of energy and vitality. Beethoven is in the process of becoming   a renowned composer and stands firmly on his own two feet in Vienna.

Perhaps it was the excitement of writing for violin that caused  Brahms to begin his first violin sonata ( op 78) immediately after   finished work on the Divine Violin Concerto ( op 77 ) which   is also written for Joseph Joachim.  Nevertheless, these  two works are very different in expression. Where the violin concerto is   dramatic and expressive, the sonata is introverted and philosophical. Again, the   thoughts go to "Free monkeys lonely". The sonata is like a walk through leaves   in autumn and is therefore very suitable in our opinion for a   concert program in October. 

The entire program:

Beethoven sonata n 4 in I minor op 23 

1) Presto

2) Andante scherzoso, piu allegretto

3) Allegro molto

Grieg sonata n 2 – G major

1) Lento doloroso/ Allegro vivace

2) Allegretto tranquillo

3) Allegro animato

Pause 

Brahms sonata n 1 in G major op 78

1) Vivace ma non troppo

2) Adagio/ più andante

3) Allegro molto moderato 

Brahms Scherzo (FAE) 

1) Allegro