Saint-Sa¿¿ns: Sonatas pour Violon et Piano

by Cecilia Zilliacus, Christian Ihle Hadland, Stephen Fitzpatrick

Overview

Various recordings exist of the two numbered violin sonatas by Camille Saint-Saens, but most pair one sonata or the other with a work by a different composer. There is a lot to be said for performing them together, as violinist Cecilia Zilliacus (whose chamber music recordings, in general, are underrated and choice) and pianist Christian Ihle Hanland do here. They are quite distinct from each other, and heard together, they give insight into the depth of Saint-Saens' compositional thinking. Oddly enough, chamber music had little presence in late 19th century France, and Saint-Saens' Violin Sonata No. 1 in D minor, Op. 75, from 1885, is one of the first French examples of the genre (Franck's Violin Sonata in A major followed a year later). In parts, it resembles the Violin Sonata No. 9 in A major, Op. 47, of Beethoven, who was not a common model for Saint-Saens, and it may have been the inspiration for the fictional "Vinteuil Sonata" in Proust's novel A la recherche du temps perdu. The Violin Sonata No. 2 in E flat major, Op. 102, is quieter but more intricate; its thematic material is Brahmsian in the way it contains multiple possibilities. Saint-Saens claimed that one had to hear it eight times in order to get it; that may be excessive, but it is certainly learned chamber music with a mood uncharacteristic of the composer. Zilliacus and pianist Hadland reveal the full distinctiveness of the two works; Zilliacus is especially compelling in the sinuous thematic material of the first movement of the Violin Sonata No. 2. The cherry on top is a pair of works for violin and harp, one of them a transcription, at the end. This may well become a standard recording of the two Saint-Saens violin sonatas. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	02/03/2023
Label:	Bis
UPC:	7318599924892
Rank:	15214

Tracks

1. Violin Sonata No. 1 in D minor, Op. 75~Allegro agitato -
2. Violin Sonata No. 1 in D minor, Op. 75~Adagio
3. Violin Sonata No. 1 in D minor, Op. 75~Allegretto moderato -
4. Violin Sonata No. 1 in D minor, Op. 75~Allegro molto
5. Violin Sonata No. 2 in E flat major, Op. 102~Poco allegro, pi¿¿ tosto moderato
6. Violin Sonata No. 2 in E flat major, Op. 102~Scherzo. Vivace
7. Violin Sonata No. 2 in E flat major, Op. 102~Andante - Allegretto scherzando ma ben moderato - Andante
8. Violin Sonata No. 2 in E flat major, Op. 102~Allegro grazioso. Non presto - Meno mosso, ben moderato - Allegro
9. Fantaisie in A major for violin and harp, Op. 124
10. Berceuse, Op. 38

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Cecilia Zilliacus   Primary Artist,Violin
Stephen Fitzpatrick   Primary Artist,Harp
Christian Ihle Hadland   Primary Artist,Piano

Technical Credits

Ingo Petry   Post Production Mix,Post Production Editor,Producer,Engineer
Jean-Pascal Vachon   Liner Notes
Marion Schwebel   Engineer,Producer,Post Production Mix,Post Production Editor
Nikolaj Lund   Photography
Andrew Barnett   Typesetting,Liner Note Translation
Horst A. Scholz   Liner Note Translation
Lajos Toro   Piano Technician
Nicola Gagliano   Instrument Design
Stephen Fitzpatrick   Arranger
J. Grigny   Engraving
Camille Saint-Saens   Composer
Tina Axelsson   Photography
Peter Adamik   Photography
Robert Suff   Executive Producer