Program Notes for Grieg 1st Violin Sonata

Sonata no. 1 in F major, op. 8

Edvard Grieg was born on 15 June 1843 in Bergen, Norway. He is perhaps best known for his piano concerto, orchestral suites and numerous piano lyric pieces. His 3^rd violin sonata is also a favorite work among violinists. However, it will not be performed here. In contrast, the 1^st violin sonata, which will be played, is less well known and performed less frequently. When describing his 3 violin sonatas, the composer remarked: “The First is naïve, reflecting many antecedents; the Second national and the Third reveals wider horizons”.

Grieg’s 1^st sonata was written while he was living in Rungsted, Denmark, in the summer of 1865 – a period which he later described as “a happy time of triumph and accomplishment”. It contains many attractive melodies, most memorable of which would be the opening of the 2^nd movement, characteristically Norwegian folk. The middle Trio section of this same movement evokes the springar of the Hardanger fiddle (Norwegian folk violin), with the use of open string drones. Though not as nationalistic as his 2^nd violin sonata, the 1^st was claimed to be the first “Norwegian” violin sonata for the use of these folk features.

Grieg was devoted to the idea of expressing a Norwegian voice in his music, and created a unique and individual style through his expressive lyricism and pronounced nationalism. Other personal touches in this sonata include the two mysteriously out-of-key minor chords which begin the 1^st movement, and the Andante minor-key transformation of the opening theme which precedes the development section and returns to end the movement.