From March 1816 to August 1817, Franz Schubert composed four violin sonatas. All four were published after the composer's death: the first three, D 384, 385 and 408, as Sonatinas in 1836 (Op. posth. 137), and the last one, D 574, as Duo in 1851 (Op. posth. 162). Schubert composed two more pieces for violin and piano, in October 1826 and December 1827 respectively: a Rondo, D 895, which was published during the composer's lifetime (Op. 70), and a Fantasy, 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 the Bohemian violinist Josef 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, including over 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 to Mozart's violin sonatas than to Beethoven's—the "Sonatina" diminutive stuck to them.[2][3][4]
No. 1 in D major, D 384
Schubert wrote "März 1816" (March 1816) on the autograph score of his Sonata for Violin and Piano in D major (D 384).[5][8] The sonata has three movements:[5]
Allegro molto
Andante
Allegro vivace
No. 2 in A minor, D 385
Titled "Sonata II" and dated March 1816 in the autograph, the Sonata for Violin and Piano in A minor (D 385) has four movements:[5]
Schubert dated the Sonata for Violin and Piano in G 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 in A major, D 574, but there is an early manuscript copy titling the work as Sonate, 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 in B minor, D 895, and the Fantasy in C major, D 934, were apparently composed for the Czech violist Josef Slavík and the pianist Carl 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 indicated D 895 as "Rondo". It was published in April 1827 by Artaria as the composer's Op. 70, titled Rondeau brillant. The composition is in B minor and has two sections: an introductory Andante followed by an Allegro in sonata 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 publisher Domenico Artaria's, in Schubert's presence, probably early 1827.[10] At the time, the work was well received.[4] According to a note written by Joseph Joachim in October 1857, he had performed this work with Marie 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 the Gewandhaus (Leipzig). With the piano part orchestrated by Ferdinand 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 the Musikverein (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.
Publication
The 19th-century collected edition published Schubert's compositions for piano and one other instrument in its eighth series in 1886, edited by Ignaz 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 the New 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]
1984: Schubert: Complete Works for Violin and Piano. Gérard Poulet (violin) and Noël Lee (piano). Arion ARN 268006 (2 CD box).
1988: Schubert: 3 Sonatinas, Op. posth. 137; Duo, Op. 162; Rondo, Op. 70; Fantaisie, Op. posth. 159. Isaac Stern (violin) and Daniel Barenboim (piano). Sony Classical S2K 44504 (2 CD box). Re-issued in Daniel Barenboim: A Retrospective (Sony Classical 889853936328, box with 43 CDs and 3 DVDs).
1988–1989: Schubert: Die Kammermusik für Violine. Edith Peinemann (violin) and Leonard Hokanson (piano). Bayer BR 100067 CD (2 CD box).
1989: Schubert: The Complete Works for Violin and Piano. Jaime Laredo (violin) and Stephanie Brown (piano). Brilliant Classics 92275 (2 CD box).[2][21]
