Sonata for Violin Solo

Inspired by Yehudi Menuhin’s playing of Bach’s solo violin sonatas, Bartók’s blend of baroque and folk influences is most evident in the first movement Tempo di ciaccona and the second-movement Fuga. Interesting companion or contrast pieces, in addition to Bach’s masterpieces, are the solo violin sonata of 1919/20 by Bartók’s colleague, Zoltán Székely, and that of 1935 by his pupil Sándor Veress. Bartók’s quarter-tone and third-tone variants to the final movement were excluded from the original edition, but are included in the latest ‘Urtext’ edition.

Note by Malcolm Gillies