Beethoven’s Violin Sonata No. 7 — the second of the three works that comprise Opus 30 — is the only one of the three with four movements, and also the only one in a minor key, forming a type of major-minor-major emotional arc among the three compositions.
“There is no doubting the depth of Beethoven’s feelings in this masterpiece, in which heroism, anger, tension and sorrow all play a part.” — Angus Watson in “Beethoven’s Chamber Music in Context” on the Violin Sonata No. 7
“The grandeur and symphonic scope of the [Violin Sonata No. 7] … is the power of the dramatic message that seems to lead Beethoven to these utterly new instrumental formulas, these torrential scales, staccato-martellato passages, the superimposition of long, plaintive lines into subterranean rumblings in the bass (in the coda of the first movement). These formulas … have given the violin-piano sonata a new dimension. … [The four movements] all open up new vistas and it is difficult for us to visualize the impact such a work must have made at the time of its appearance.” — Hungarian violinist Joseph Szigeti
#Beethoven250 Day 152
Violin Sonata No. 7 in C Minor (Opus 30, No. 2), 1802
Russian violinist Vadim Repin and Israeli pianist Itmar Golan in a spectacular performance.
The first movement of Beethoven’s Violin Sonata No. 7 is startling aggressive with savage stabs of the violin but peppered with tunes that surprisingly suggest military marches. Perhaps an allusion to the Napoleonic Wars? Or Beethoven’s own struggles?
The second movement Adagio Cantabile starts off sounding like it’s going to be another heartbreaker, but turns to something sweeter yet paradoxically with ominous undercurrents, a world in which the most normal thing ever — C major scales — become scary weird in context.
The third movement Scherzo and Trio has the only repeat signs in the entire work. It provides a little respite before the Finale, but is full of angular rhythms and hemiola passages in the piano.
The 4th movement starts off with pounding bass chords that launch into a dark and driving emotional roller coaster, capped with an aggressive audience-pleasing Presto coda.
#Beethoven250 Day 152
Violin Sonata No. 7 in C Minor (Opus 30, No. 2), 1802
Korean-American violinist Anna Lee and Montreal-based pianist Philip Chiu play splendidly at a venue in Montreal.