VOLUME I, MHS 3475 Side 1: SONATA in G Major, K. 301 [293a) Allegro con spirito - Allegro
SONATA in E-flat Major, K. 302 [293b] Allegro - Rondo: Andante grazioso
SONATA in C Major, K. 303 [293c]
Adagio non troppo/Molto Allegro-Tempo di Minuetto
Side 2: SONATA in A Major, K. 305 [293d] Allegro molto - Terna con Variazioni
SONATA in C Major, K. 296
Allegro vivace - Andante sostenuto - Rondo: Allegro
VOLUME 11, MHS 3476 Side 1: SONATA in E Minor, K. 304 [300c] Allegro - Tempo di Minuetto
SONATA in D Major, K. 306 [300e] Allegro con spirito - Andantino cantabile - Allegretto
Side 2: SONATA in B-flat Major, K. 378 [317d]
Allegro moderato - Andantino sostenuto e cantabile Rondo: Allegro
SONATA MOVEMENT in B-flat Major, K. 372 Allegro
VOLUME Ill, MHS 3477 Side 1: SONATA in G Major, K. 379 [373a] Adagio/ Allegro - Thema con Variazioni
Sonatas for Violin and Piano Today we simply say violin sonata, by which is understood a work in at least a few movements for violin and piano. Both instruments contribute equally--such a composition is a true duo, even if the violinist's name appears in larger print, as soloist, while the pianist has accompanist status only, hardly a fair situation when sonatas by Beethoven, Brahms, Franck and Faure, to name a few, are involved. Violin sonatas may be heard at violin recitals; certainly no pianist nowadays would consider sharing a program with a fiddler. There is probably sweet revenge in violinists' hearts over this state of affairs, for in times past circumstances provided an entirely different relation between violin and piano. The modern violin sonata developed in the Classic Period. It may be traced back to socio-economic conditions rather than purely musical ones. Publishers had an understandable desire to sell music. Their interests were clearly fayored by the major shift in style du(ing the Rococo Era, when the serious contrapuntal manner of the Baroque gave way to the more playful, homophonic and, most important of all, technically easy galant manner. This shift produced a wave of compositions intended for amateur, domestic use, an area of musical commerce with no apparent limit, especially as the new fortepiano superceded the harpsichord as home instrument par excellence. Music publishers encouraged composers to write what would sell and discouraged difficult works with little chance of widespread appeal. (In this connection we note how often Mozart suffered criticism from both publishers and music reviewers.) Publishers also encouraged the addition of rudimentary melody parts that could "accompany" the keyboard, playable on a flute or violin. Socio-economic considerations obviously took prece dence over artistic motivation. On occasion, however, the reverse may have been true. Charles Burney, our chief source of information for things musical in the second half of the eighteenth century, refers to Johann Christian Bach's "composi tions for the pianoforte such as ladies can execute with little trouble. On which account, they lose much of their effect when played without accompaniments, which are admirable, and so masterly and interesting to an audience, that want of hand, or complication in the harpsichord part, is never discovered." Accompanied sonatas, sometimes including cello participation (doubling the keyboard's left hand), thus creating the modern piano trio medium, grew in importance and became the most frequently printed type of sonata in the Classic Era. Title pages consistently include phrases such as "sonata for piano or harpsichord, which may be played with the accompaniment of a violin or flute." As late as 1805 Beethoven's "Kreutzer" Sonata
TWELVE VARIATIONS on "La Berg�re Celimene", K.
359 [374a]
Side 2: SIX VARIATIONS on "Helas, j'ai perdu mon amant", K.
360 [374b] SONATA in F Major, K. 376 [374d]
Allegro - Andante - Rondo: Allegretto grazioso
VOLUME IV, MHS 3478
Side 1: SONATA in F Major, K. 377 [374e]
Allegro - Thema con Variazioni - Tempo di Minuetto
SONATA in C Major, K. 403 [385c]
Allegro moderato - Andante - Allegretto
Side 2: SONATA in E-flat Major, K. 380 [374f]
Allegro - Andante con moto - Rondo: Allegro
ANDANTE and ALLEGRETTO in C Major, K. 404 [385d] SONATA in A Major, K. 402 [385e] Andante, ma un poco Adagio-Fuga: Allegro moderato
VOLUME V, MHS 3479 Side 1: SONATA in B-flat Major, K. 454 Largo/Allegro - Andante - Allegretto
Side 2: SONATA in E-flat Major, K. 481
Molto Allegro - Adagio - Thema con Variazioni
VOLUME VI, MHS 3480 Side 1: SONATA in A Major, K. 526 Allegro molto - Andante - Presto
Side 2: SONATA in F Major, K. 547
Andante cantabile - Allegro - Andante con Variazioni first appeared with "Pianoforte and Violin Obligato." His last duo-sonata also places the keyboard instrument first in title. That "ad libitum" or "obligato" parts came to characterize the norm may be inferred from instances where specific instructions "piano alone" were included. A few examples from the Mozarts*: December 15, 1780, "He is not only a lover of music, but a very good performer on the violin, and the day before yesterday he accompanied your sister, who played your engraved sonatas." (Leopold writing to his son); April 16, 1783, "You have probably heard about my pianoforte sonatas with accompaniment for one violin, which I have had engraved here ... " (Wolfgang to a French publisher); April 3, 1784, "I still have six sonatas for the clavier only ..." (Leopold to
* All excerpts from letters taken from Emily Anderson: The
Letters of Mozart and His Family, 1966.
ll
ARTUR BALSAM is no stranger to the Society's catalog. His recordings of C.P.E. Bach, Clementi, Haydn (complete sonatas) and Mozart (complete piano music) are among the Society's most treasured titles. Mr. Balsam, born in Poland, was a prodigy who eventually won First Prize in the 1930 International Competition for Pianists held in Berlin. A year later he won the coveted Mendelssohn Prize. During his long and distinguished career, Mr. Balsam has performed as soloist with such organizations as the N.B.C. B. B.C. Symphonies, London Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, Warsaw Philharmonic, and radio orchestras throughout Europe. He is also a great chamber music player, hav-ing recorded sonatas with Milstein, Francescatti, Melsova, Navarra, Kroll, and others.
OSCAR SHUMSKY is frequently called a "violinist's violinist." During his long and successful career he has appeared as soloist with major symphony orchestras both in the United States and Europe. He has, as well, enjoyed acclaim as a recital artist, a chamber music player, a conductor and a teacher. Born in Philadelphia, he began to play the violin at the age of three and made his concert debut at eight with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Leopold Stokowski. A graduate of the Curtis Institute, where he was a pupil of both Leopold Auer and Efrem Zimbalist, Mr. Shumsky later taught violin at Curtis from 1961 to 1965. He has been a member of the major violin faculty at the Juilliard School since 1953. While serving as artist-in-residence at the Canadian Stratford Festival in 1959, Mr. Shumsky made his conducting debut and has, since that time, added conducting to his music activities, appearing with orchestras throughout North America. He was subsequently appointed music director of the Festival and retained that position until his retirement in 1967. As a recitalist, Oscar Shumsky has frequently performed on both the violin and viola in the same program and has been highly acclaimed for virtuosity on both instruments. Among his many awards and honors is the Ford Foundation Award, granted to an outstanding American violinist, which he received in December 1963.