Grieg : Violin Sonata No.3 in C minor, Op.45

Grieg 

 

Violin Sonata No.3 in C minor, Op.45

 

The 10th Great Mountains International Music Festival
Jul.26. 2013
Alpensia Concert Hall, Pyeongchang

Kyung-Wha Chung, violin
Robert McDonald, piano

 

Composition on Grieg's third and final violin sonata began in the autumn of 1886. Whereas the first two sonatas were written in a matter of weeks, this sonata took him several months to complete.^[5]

The sonata remains the most popular of the three works, and has established itself in the standard repertoire. The work was also a personal favorite of Grieg's. The sonata premiered with Grieg himself at the piano with well-known violinist Adolf Brodsky in Leipzig. To a certain extent, Grieg built on Norwegian folk melodies and rhythms in this three-movement sonata. However, for Grieg the second sonata was the "Norwegian" sonata whereas he considered the third "the one with the broader horizon".^[6]

 

The first movement is characterized by its bold and heroic opening theme.

: 1st mvt, violin, opening bars to the primary theme

The agitated opening theme is contrasted with a more lyrical secondary theme.

: 1st mvt, violin, portion of the secondary theme

The second movement opens with a serene piano solo in E major with a lyrical melodic line.

In the middle section, Grieg uses a playful dance tune. The finale is written in sonata form with

coda but lacks a development section.^[5]

This was the last piece Grieg composed using sonata form.^[7]