Franck & Strauss – Violin Sonatas
Augustin Dumay; Louis Lortie
Onyx 4096
César Franck’s passionate and romantic Violin Sonata has been regarded as one of the greatest in the repertoire. Thanks to this disc however, I have fallen in love with Richard Strauss’s Violin Sonata Op.18, a work of his early years. It is lyrical and lush with all the hallmarks of his later style. It was written in 1887 and Strauss had studied both violin and piano from a very early age. He had already composed a violin concerto in 1882 so it is not surprising to hear superb writing for both instruments. This sonata is expansive in the grand manner using idiomatic writing for virtuoso performers but it is also melodic, tender and intimate. There are references to Brahms in several moments of the music and in the last few bars the piano part quotes from the Adagio of Beethoven’s “Pathétique” Sonata. This is vigorous and adventurous music, full of bravura. The middle section seems to be invaded by the Erlking. However, the lyrical moments melt your heart as do the performances.
César Franck’s only violin sonata was written in 1886 as a wedding present for the virtuoso violinist Eugène Ysaÿe. It is a staple of all violinists. Both violinist and pianist get to flex their muscles in this unabashedly emotional and radiant work. The second movement is the most fiery music Franck ever wrote and lets the pianist display his virtuosic technique. However, the dolcissimo and rhapsodic, improvisatory nature of the Recitativo-Fantasia shows Franck at his most expressive with an intense but serene melodic line. No wonder this piece became a standard-bearer for French chamber music. These performances are poised, refined and exquisite. They match in their touch and in the pacing of the music. Both Dumay and Lortie sing the melodic line on their instruments in intense and sensitive unison. The two artists have chosen to highlight the music instead of their own technique and it is a journey well worth listening to. A highly recommended CD for lovers of French chamber music.
