Itzhak Perlman, Violin, Samuel Sanders, Piano ... Thursday, November 29, 1984, Jesse Auditorium
Abstract
"Since its ascendancy over the cornetto, the gamba, and other treble instruments in the mid-seventeenth century, the violin has been at the center of fine-art music-making in Western civilization. As a solo instrument, as a leading component in chamber ensembles, and as the mainstay of the orchestra, the violin has been among the instruments most preferred by composers for the past four hundred years. Consequently, the literature for the violin must be closely associated with the evolution of fine-art music in general. In many instances, it has been at the heart of this evolution. The sonatas for violin and piano by Beethoven , Faure, and Ravel on tonight's program are indeed fully representative of advanced musical thought in their respective times. The almost endless wealth of music for violin has, of course, been accompanied by a long list of artists who have brought this music to life, and the pantheon of distinguished violinists includes many of the most venerated names in music history after 1650. A pivotal figure in violin playing and a catalyst for the greater musical culture of his day was the Italian instrumentalist Niccolo Paganini (1782-1840). Paganini, whose reputation was made performing his own compositions, was largely responsible for the remarkable extension of violin technique in the early nineteenth century. Now considered the prototype of the Romantic virtuoso, he literally dazzled his audiences with a factor of technical brilliance and a variety of effect all the more incredible because of the longstanding popularity of his instrument. In spite of changes in taste, Paganini's legacy is the foundation for the modern violinist. It is tempting to speculate whether the impact of his musical personality on large audiences has been exceeded by the powers of the great violinists who have followed him. The example he set is, however, incontrovertible. When the modern public becomes spellbound by the artistry of Itzhak Perlman and other eminent virtuosi, it is repeating a pattern of behavior established over one hundred fifty years ago."
Table of Contents
Sonata in D Major, Op. 12, No. 1 -- Sonata in A Major, Op. 13 -- Intermission -- Sonata -- Selections to be announced from the stage