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PROGRAMNOTESbyStevenLowe MAURICERAVEL SonataforViolinandPianoNo.2inGmajor,M.77 BORN:March7,1875,inCiboure,France DIED:December18,1937,inParis WORKCOMPOSED:1927 RecoilingfromthehorrorsofWorldWarImanycomposers,includingMauriceRavel,searched fornewmodesofexpressionandstyle.StravinskyandHindemithsoughtrationalityanda connectiontothepastinNeo-Classicism.Schoenbergandhisdisciplesbelievedthatthrough dodecaphony(akathe12-tonesystem)theywerereestablishingabondwithpastGerman musicalgreatnessandapromiseforcontinuityinthefuture.Frenchcomposersoptedfor urbanityandelegance.RavelmovedawayfromtheopulenceofDaphnisetChlöeintoaspare, economicalmusicallanguagethatresonatedtoStravinskyandtheentireNeo-Classicschool. Amongtheearliestofhispost-WorldWarIeffortstoredefinehimselfwastheleanand astringentSonataforViolinandCello(1920–22).ThefollowingyearbeganworkontheSonata forViolinandPiano,whichoccupiedhimforfouryearsuntilcompletionin1927.Ittoomarks thecomposer’schangeinstyleinitiatedbytheimmediatelyprecedingviolin/cellosonata.Like AlfredHitchcock,whothoughtthroughthemyriaddetailsofamoviebeforebeginningactual filming,Ravelplannedoutthenewsonatainobsessivedetailbeforeputtingpentopaper. TheopeningAllegrettostartswithabriefintroductiononthepianobeforetheviolinpresents thefirstofseveralthemefragmentsthatbydesignseematoddswiththemusicarticulatedby thekeyboardist.Ravelnotedthathecomposedthesonatafortwo“essentiallyincompatible instruments[that]accentuatetheincompatibilitytoanevengreaterdegree.”Textures throughoutthemovementarespareandclipped—thevirtualantithesistosuchearlierworks as,say,thePavaneforaDeadPrincessandDaphnisandChlöe. LikehiscolleagueDariusMilhaudandtheFrenchingeneral,Ravelwassmittenandfascinated byAmericanjazz,ascanbeinferredfromthemarkingforthesecondmovement—Blues. Moderato.Heusestheviolinasasurrogatesaxophone(aninstrumentusedbymanyFrench “classical”composers)andthepianoasawould-beguitar.Aswiththefirstmovement,the musichasattimesahard-edgedquality,aherky-jerkyrhythmicjauntinessthatcapturesthe post-traumaticfrenzyofthestill-freshpainfulmemoriesoftheGreatWar. APerpetuummobilemarkedAllegroservesastheSonata’sfebrileandastringentlytextured finale.HereRavel—apianist,thoughnotavirtuoso—givestheviolinaclearleadershiprolein pursuitofvibrantfiddling,limitingthepianotoanaccompanying,thoughbynomeans unchallengingrole. ©2016StevenLowe
