Alexander Pavlovsky Photo: Felix Broede
Franz Schubert wrote four violin sonatas between the years of 1816 and 1817. They were all published posthumously, the first three of these sometimes being referred to as Sonatinas, and bear more relation to the works of the similarly short-lived Mozart rather than to those of Beethoven.
Schubert had violin and piano lessons from his father and brother as a child, and although he soon exceeded their abilities he still made music with his siblings and father at home as violist of the family string quartet. It is easy to imagine what the family atmosphere may have been like when appreciating this sonata. The relationship between the violin and piano is collegial and friendly, and the writing is absent of any unnecessary virtuosic techniques for either instrument. Overall, the relative simplicity of the music only makes its nuances easier to appreciate.
Recorded 2 February 2019, Nelson Centre of Musical Arts by RNZ Concert.
Sound engineer: Graham Kennedy
