Franck Sonata/Andantino quietoso op. 6/Mélancolie for Piano and Violin [Bar:BA9425]

Cesar Franck’s Sonata for Piano and Violin is one of the most treasured works in the violin repertoire, a masterpiece of cyclic form with a gracefulness and expressive force almost paradigmatic for the age of musical Romanticism. This work was composed in 1886 and was dedicated to the Belgian violinist and composer Eugène Ysaÿe.

Franck’s correspondence proves that he was directly involved in the printing of the sonata. Consequently, our new scholarly performing edition draws mainly on the first edition of the separate violin part. For the piano part, the first edition of the version for violoncello and piano, which appeared during Franck’s lifetime, was an important source as many engraver’s errors found in the first printing of the violin version had been corrected in this violoncello version. In addition to these sources, both autograph scores of the violin sonata (Franck’s working copy and his fair copy) were consulted to clarify questionable readings.

Bärenreiter’s new edition also includes two short separate movements for the same instrumentation: the early “Andantino quietoso” op. 6 (1843), a hauntingly beautiful piece composed for performances with Franck’s violinist brother Joseph, as well as “Mélancolie”, first published after Franck’s death in 1911. This second piece is based on a solfège exercise and written at the height of the composer’s creative powers, at about the same time as his famous violin sonata.

The edition is rounded off by an informative text on the genesis and reception history of the three compositions (Ger/Fr/Eng), a complete list of sources, editorial notes and a Critical Commentary (Eng).