From March 1816 to August 1817,Franz Schubert composed fourviolin sonatas. All four were published after the composer's death: the first three,D 384, 385 and 408, asSonatinas in 1836 (Op. posth. 137), and the last one,D 574, asDuo in 1851 (Op. posth. 162). Schubert composed two more pieces forviolin andpiano, in October 1826 and December 1827 respectively: aRondo,D 895, which was published during the composer's lifetime (Op. 70), and aFantasy, D 934, which was premiered in January 1828, less than a year before the composer's death.[1]
The 1816–1817 sonatas breathe an intimate atmosphere, requiring no virtuoso bravura from their performers, while the 1826–1827 pieces, composed for theBohemian violinistJosef Slavík, have been characterized as more demanding, also for the pianist, and have a more extroverted character.[2][3][4]
Schubert was an accomplished violinist and had already extensively composed for violin, includingover a dozen string quartets, by the time he started to write violin sonatas at age 19.[2][3][4]
The compositions for violin and piano D 384, 385 and 408 were named Sonata in Schubert's autographs.[5][6] They were named Sonatina when published posthumously as Op. 137 in 1836.[7] Since these works are modest in size—rather to be compared toMozart's violin sonatas than toBeethoven's—the "Sonatina" diminutive stuck to them.[2][3][4]
Schubert wrote "März 1816" (March 1816) on the autograph score of his Sonata for Violin and Piano inD major (D 384).[5][8] The sonata has three movements:[5]
Schubert dated the Sonata for Violin and Piano inG minor (D 408) April 1816 in the autograph, and titled it "Sonata III".[6] The sonata has four movements:[6]
There is no extant autograph of the Sonata for Violin and Piano inA major, D 574, but there is an early manuscript copy titling the work asSonate, and indicating its time of composition as August 1817.[9] It was named Duo when published as Op. 162 in 1851.[9] It has four movements:[9]
Performed by Dénes Zsigmondy (violin) and Anneliese Nissen (piano)
Both the Rondo inB minor, D 895, and the Fantasy inC major, D 934, were apparently composed for the Czech violist Josef Slavík and the pianistCarl Maria von Bocklet: they performed these works before Schubert's death in November 1828.[2][3][4][10][11]
In his autograph, dated October 1826, Schubert indicatedD 895 as "Rondo". It was published in April 1827 byArtaria as the composer's Op. 70, titledRondeau brillant. The composition is in B minor and has two sections: an introductory Andante followed by an Allegro insonata rondo form.[3][10]
For the Fantasy in C major, D 934, which was composed in December 1827, the name given by Schubert,Fantaisie, corresponds with that of its first publication in 1850 as Op. 159.[12][13] The work is in one movement with several sections:[3][11]
Josef Slavík, the violinist who premiered both the Rondo D 895 and the Fantasy D 934
The Rondo in B minor, D 895, was performed by Josef Slavík and Carl Maria von Bocklet at music publisherDomenico Artaria's, in Schubert's presence, probably early 1827.[10] At the time, the work was well received.[4] According to a note written byJoseph Joachim in October 1857, he had performed this work withMarie Wieck.[14] Documented 19th-century public performances include:
20 January 1828: Fantasy, D 934, premiered by Josef Slavík and Carl Maria von Bocklet in the Landhaussaal in Vienna.[11] A contemporary critic was dismissive about the work for its length.[3]
21 October 1862 and 2 December 1867: Rondo Brillant, Op. 70, in theGewandhaus (Leipzig). With the piano part orchestrated byFerdinand David, this piece was performed in the same venue on New Year's Day 1872.[15]
7 February 1864: Fantasie, Op. 159, in the Gewandhaus (Leipzig).[15]
3 March 1864: first public performance of Duo, Op. 162, in theMusikverein (Vienna).[9]
The publication of Schubert's works for violin and piano had started in 1827 and was completed quarter of a century later. The pieces were recorded in the 20th and 21st century.
The19th-century collected edition published Schubert's compositions for piano and one other instrument in its eighth series in 1886, edited byIgnaz Brüll. The first six pieces in that volume were Schubert's compositions for violin and piano, all of which had been published before:[16]
Series VI, Volume 8 of theNew Schubert Edition, published in 1970, contained the same works as series VIII of the 19th-century collected edition, but presented them in chronological order of composition.[19]
