Gaviniés: Three Sonatas for Violin, Op. posth.

There is evidence to indicate that Pierre Gaviniés composed this collection of three violin ‎sonatas, published in Paris in 1801, close to his death in 1800. Dedicated to his friend, the ‎violinist Rudolph Kreutzer, these sonatas exhibit a greater inventiveness in the writing for ‎the violin than is found in his earlier sonatas of opus 1 and opus 3, which appeared in ‎‎1760 and 1764, respectively. The opus posthumous sonatas demand a virtuosic technique ‎comparable to that needed in Gaviniés’s famous work, Les Vingt-quatre matinées, also ‎composed in 1800. The bass line of the opus posthumous collection, unlike that in his ‎earlier works, is unfigured and is not labeled as a basso continuo. In a Berlin edition of ‎‎1828, the bass line is published separately from the violin part, as a violoncello ‎accompaniment ad libitum. The editor concludes that these sonatas could be performed ‎in one of three ways: first, as a solo with basso continuo, the harmony supplied by a ‎knowledgeable keyboard player supported by a cellist playing the bass line; second, as ‎just an unaccompanied violin solo; or third, as a duo played by a violinist and cellist. Any ‎choice of these options should produce a satisfactory and convincing interpretation of ‎these sonatas.‎

Sonata I: Le Tombeau

  Adagio

  Allegro ma affetuoso

  Allegro con fuogo ma non troppo presto

 

Sonata II

  Adagio ma non troppo

  Allegro con espressivo

  Andante con variazione

 

Sonata III

  Allegro moderato

  Andante con variazione

  Seconda thema: Andante