Solo Violin

[snyprrr]

i was just checking out some paganini on utube, and was thinking about the solo violin as THE "rock star" instrument.


BACH- Sonatas and Partitas

PAGANINI- 24 Caprices

YSAYE- 6 sonatas

HINDEMITH (2), PROKOFIEV, MARTINON, HONEGGER, KREISLER, KRENEK, SCHULLHOFF, BLOCH (2 suites)....20th century "smallish" works

BARTOK- Sonata
SESSIONS- Sonata
SCHNABEL- Sonata (50min???)

BERIO- Sequenza
XENAKIS- Mikka, Mikka 'S'
SCIARRINO- 7 "pieces"
BOULEZ- Anthemes
NONO- Lontan....
CAGE- Freeman Etudes
FERNEYHOUGH
SCELSI- Xenobis
CARTER...................................I guess the list can go on?

[Maciek]

Bacewicz - Capriccios (at least 6 of them, 4 in one set and two "separately"), Polish Capriccio, 2 Sonatas

Krzysztof Meyer - Sonata op. 36

Szymanski - A Kaleidoscope for MCE - the piece was originally for cello but there's a violin version by the composer, recently recorded by Szymon Krzeszowiec (Silesian Quartet 1st violin); in fact that whole disc is worth mentioning:

[snyprrr]

are the bacewicz caprices as wild as the paganini?

i remember midori had a great recital cd chok full of encores old and new (on sony).

[greg]

There's always Prokofiev's Sonata for solo violin (op.115) or the sonata for 2 violins (op.56) .

[Maciek]

are the bacewicz caprices as wild as the paganini?

I'd say yes. And speaking of Paganini's caprices, there's Henryk Wieniawski's L'ecole moderne and several violin solo caprices by Karol Lipinski (though, except for one from op. 29, I'm not sure if the latter have ever been recorded).

i remember midori had a great recital cd chok full of encores old and new (on sony).

But I think those were all for accompanied violin. There was a Bacewicz piece on that disc as well (one of the obereks, I think).

[Sorin Eushayson]

Just listened to Telemann's Fantasias for Solo Violin today, actually.  Wonderful music; highly recommended if you're a lover of the solo violin (which I certainly am)!  Try this...

[snyprrr]

telemann....huh? who wooda thunk

this IS fun!

[prémont]

Johan Paul von Westhoff (1656-1705): Six Suites for violin solo

Link: http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/SESSIONID/22d46a7725f6c4527cdde565d1763a41/classic/detail/-/art/Johann%20Paul%20von%20Westhoff%3A%20S%E4mtliche%20Suiten%20f%FCr%20Violine%20solo/hnum/4152523

Heinrich Biber: Passacaglia for Violin solo

[Dax]

There's an excellent solo sonata (1925) in 4 movements by Skalkottas. Here's an old performance by Manoug Parikian.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/x3tgmp

[violinconcerto]

...................I guess the list can go on?

I collect recordings of violin concertos just from the 20th century and have now about 3000 different works in my archive.
You look for violin solo works, which number is bigger because these works are not that long and so a composer normally composed more violin solo works than violin concertos. And you are looking for all centuries. So a good guess ist that you can find about 10000 works for the solo violin.... so your guess is right, the list can go on for years!

[The new erato]

Bjarne Brustad

[Sorin Eushayson]

Not entirely loyal to the topic, but there's an interesting recording of Grieg's Slatter (Op. 72) that uses two different performances: one of the original folk dances performed on solo hardanger fiddle and another of Grieg's work performed on piano.  A fascinating comparison and contrast.  The tone of the hardanger is very rustic.

[snyprrr]

is there a thread on this site debating recordings of paganini's caprices and bach's sonatas and preludes?

something like a "perlman vs. ......"?

i would also love to hear about any more hidden masterpieces/ personal favorites. as the one post noted, there's GOT to be a few more out there.

also, any favs in the Bartok sonata? one reviewer said that only robert mann got the whole thing right.

[snyprrr]

is there a thread on this site debating recordings of paganini's caprices and bach's sonatas and preludes?

something like a "perlman vs. ......"?

i would also love to hear about any more hidden masterpieces/ personal favorites. as the one post noted, there's GOT to be a few more out there.

also, any favs in the Bartok sonata? one reviewer said that only robert mann got the whole thing right.

I'm still wondering about that Mann Bartok.

[FideLeo]

It's been argued that some Tartini sonatas ought to be played solo. 

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[snyprrr]

Lethe was looking for some more music like Sciarrino's Capriccios. I seriously don't know who could be doing this kind of thing, but, check out Cage's Freeman Etudes on YouTube (by Arditti). What I heard on there was pretty mind blowing.

[petrarch]

I've heard those. They suck.

They don't suck; they are an amazing set of solo pieces, sonically, timbrally and musically--and the scores are beautiful to look at. Books 3 and 4 remained unplayed for quite a while due to the enormous technical difficulty in performing them. Irvine Arditti was the first violinist to tackle them successfully. In fact, general opinion has it that Books 1 and 2 performed by Paul Zukovsky (for whom the work was composed) is a more rewarding experience than the Arditti, because the latter makes the music sound effortless. I am an unconditional fan of Irvine Arditti, so the two-disc set from Mode is the perfect release of this work.

[PaulSC]

The Freeman Etudes are indeed amazing, and Arditti's recording is superb!

[Kontrapunctus]

I like Hans Werner Henze's Solo Violin Sonata. The first version is better...it's more intense and even more ruthlessly difficult to play! (I think the latter is why he revised it!) I've never heard Cristobal Hallfter's Solo Sonata, but base on guitarist Eliot Fisk's transcription, it's quite a wild ride. Roger Sessions has a nice, gritty Solo Sonata that lasts about 30 Minutes! As does Donald Martino--he also has a Fantasy-Variations piece. Let's see, there's also George Rochberg's 78 minute Caprice Variations, and Claude Allgen's 3 hour Solo Sonata!  (Picture Reger's music on crack!) Oh...no one has mentioned Reger's Solo Sonatas yet.

[PaulSC]

They don't suck; they are an amazing set of solo pieces, sonically, timbrally and musically--and the scores are beautiful to look at. Books 3 and 4 remained unplayed for quite a while due to the enormous technical difficulty in performing them. Irvine Arditti was the first violinist to tackle them successfully. In fact, general opinion has it that Books 1 and 2 performed by Paul Zukovsky (for whom the work was composed) is a more rewarding experience than the Arditti, because the latter makes the music sound effortless. I am an unconditional fan of Irvine Arditti, so the two-disc set from Mode is the perfect release of this work.

Speaking of Zukofsky, I was very surprised to learn he's recorded the Bach solo Sonatas & Partitas. I think of him almost exclusively as a "new music" performer.
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