Repertoire
Johannes Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 1 in G major, Op. 78 (1879) 25′
Johannes Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 2 en A major, Op. 100 (1886) 20′
Eugène Ysaÿe: Poème élégiaque, Op. 12 (1893) 14′
Olivier Messiaen: Theme and Variations (1932) 7′
Maurice Ravel: Violin Sonata in G major (1923-1927) 18′
Artists
Janine Jansen, violin
Denis Kozhukhin, piano
ProgramME
Brahms’s three sonatas for violin and piano are one of the pinnacles of romantic chamber music. The first two were written in summer, when the composer could enjoy the incredible views of Lake Wörthersee in Pörtschach (Carinthia) and Lake Thun in Hofstetten (Bern). Sonata No. 1, Op. 78 is nicknamed the “Rain Sonata”, while Sonata No. 2, Op. 100 is also known as “Meistersinger”, referring to two earlier sung works, one by Brahms himself and the other by Wagner, which were an inspiration for the composer and the source of much of the lyrical quality of these pieces. A nostalgic, cantabile and profusely ornamented melodic line defines Ysaÿe’s Poème élégiaque, Op. 12. Melody also plays a leading role in the Theme and Variations Messiaen wrote when he was only 24 years old, which already shows a distinctive concept of the variation. Ravel’sSonata No. 2 is very different, leading us towards jazz, bluesand dance music. This is a chance to enjoy five extraordinary compositions in the hands of two leading international performers: violinist Janine Jansen and pianist Denis Kozhukhin.
