Tuesday, December 7, 2010

12/7 "Kreutzer" Violin Sonata, Mvmt 1 (Annotated Analysis)

I've posted about this Kreutzer Violin Sonata performance by Gidon Kremer and Martha Argerich before but the video I found back then had the 1st movement in 3 parts. I found that a bit annoying so I joined them together into 1 video.  Since I did that, I figured I might as well add some brief annotations....which turned out to be substantially more work than I expected - but very rewarding!

Violin Sonata No.9 in A, Op.47 'Kreutzer' (1803): I. Adagio Sostenuto - Presto

Violin Sonata No.9 in A, Op.47 'Kreutzer' (1803): Movement I. (Adagio Sostenuto/Presto)

Introduction in 3/4 time, Adagio Sostenuto
A - Violin enters with thickly chorded fanfare, melancholy
A1 - Piano replies, followed by violin 2-note rising motif
A2 - violin and piano trade 2-note motif in sympathy

Exposition
Theme 1
A - Exclamatory statement of main theme, meter changes to 4/4.Presto
A1 - builds to 8th note shimmy motif
A2 - syncopated violin accents lead into ostinato-like 8th note patterns
Theme 2 - Lyrical contrasting theme dominated by whole note chords
Theme 1 Motif Variations
Cadence Section
Pt 1 - Based on Theme 1-A w Syncopated plucked strings
Pt 2 - Furious 8th note passages end the exposition
a pause for breath leads into...

Exposition Repeat

Development
Pt 1 - Motif from Cadence Section
Pt 2 - Piano cuts loose.
Pt 3 - Back to Cadence motif, sensual, then playful
Pt 4 - forceful burst of energy erupts, then subsides back to lyricism
Pt 5 - rising, then falling scales
Pt 6 - Theme 1 motif reprise
Introduction Theme 2 reprise

Recapitulation
Theme 1
A - Exclamatory statement
A3 - Modulating variation leads to A1 shimmy motif
A2 - syncopated violin accents lead into ostinato-like 8th note patterns
Theme 2 - Lyrical contrasting theme dominated by whole note chords
Theme 1 Variations
Cadence Section
Pt 1 - Based on Theme 1-A w Syncopated plucked strings
Pt 2 - Furious 8th note passages end the exposition

Coda
Pt 1 - shuffling piano arpeggios disguise the tonality
Pt 2 - modulating Theme 1 fragments
Pt 3 - Time stands still for a moment...
Pt 4 - a final burst of Theme 1 ferocity!

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