Eugene Ysaye

Hi, the program notes for Eugene Ysaye (hope not too boring):

Sonata for Solo Violin, Op. 27 No. 4 in E minor

I: Allemande
III: Finale

Eugene Ysaye (1858-1931) was born in Belgium into a musical family where it was taken for granted that the son should inherit his father’s instrument. He studied the violin with Vieuxtemps and Wieniawski in Brussels and was named the ‘ultimate violinist’ by his contemporaries having fused the brilliance and elegance of the French school, as exemplified by Sarasate, with a musical approach that was as laudably honest and dedicated as that of the German school headed by Joachim.
The Six Sonates pour violon Seul Op. 27 were published in 1924 and were composed long after Ysaye’s performing days were over. The idea of writing these sonatas was originally inspired when Ysaye heard a performance by Szigeti of one of the Bach solo sonatas. Lamenting the paucity of works composed for solo violin, he then shut himself away in the study of his seaside villa, emerging triumphantly some 24 hours later clutching detailed sketches of these 6 solo sonatas. It remains his only composition receiving any attention today.
Each of the 6 solo sonatas are dedicated to one of his friends – all of whom were celebrated violinists – and were cleverly designed to reflect the individual temperaments, strengths, even idiosyncrasies, of their dedicatees. Ysaye’s own favourite was the 4^th sonata which he dedicated to Fritz Kreisler. It perfectly embraces the charm and rhythmic incisiveness that were the very essence of this peerless Viennese player.