Description
The earlier of Saint-Saëns' two sonatas for violin and piano, in D minor, Op. 75, was written in 1885. Clearly modeled on the heroic Beethovenian ideal of sonata composition, the principal quality of this impressive work is, to quote William Livingstone, that it "embodies the Apollonian control and moderation that are highly prized in French arts."
Among several key attributes which the listener will readily associate with Beethoven's works in this genre is that the work is laid out on a vast, if not to say epic scale, having four substantial movements. The second, and equally tangible Beethovenian imprint concerns the power and urgency of the principal themes, especially those of the first and last movements, in w... read more
Notable Recordings
