The solo violin repertoire is decidedly small. The most famous, and most widely played, works are J.S. Bach’s six sonatas and partitas and Niccolò Paganini’s 24 Caprices. But through the centuries most composers have stayed away from this singular mode of expression.
A remarkable exception is the Belgian violinist/composer Eugène Ysaÿe, who wrote six sonatas for solo violin in 1923 and published them as his op. 27. These six are pretty much neglected today. Occasionally a violinist will include one in a recital program. But having all six played at one concert is definitely a rarity. In what is presumably a first for Salt Lake City, three violinists from the Utah Symphony – Yuki MacQueen, David Porter and Alex Martin – will perform the six at the Westminster Concert Series’ next concert on Jan. 26.
From left: David Porter, Yuki MacQueen, Alex Martin. (Photo Credit: Westminster Concert Series)
“I’m going to go out on a limb and say that this is the first time all six will be done on one program in Utah,” series director Karlyn Bond told Reichel Recommends.
Ysaÿe was inspired to write for solo violin after hearing Joseph Szigeti play Bach’s Sonata in G minor, BWV 1001, for unaccompanied violin. He ended up writing these six sonatas that look back to Bach but remain firmly rooted in the 20th century. “They are his homage to Bach,” MacQueen said.
“Ysaÿe lived in an interesting time that stretched from early romanticism to modernism,” Bond said. MacQueen added that living around the turn of the 20th century and being friends with such composers as Claude Debussy influenced his writing. “The sonatas have a definite 20th century musical language,” MacQueen said. “He uses whole tone scales, unisons and weird harmonies.”
Being a violinist, Ysaÿe knew how to write for his instrument. “They’re difficult and virtuosic – you find whole passages written in fifths or fourths or tritones – but the music lies well in your hands,” MacQueen said. “It’s his testament to the violin.”
Each of the six sonatas was dedicated to a different friend of Ysaÿe’s, all of whom were prominent violinists of the day – Joseph Szigeti (no. 1); Jacques Thibaud (no. 2); George Enescu (no. 3); Fritz Kreisler (no. 4); Mathieu Crickboom (no. 5); and Manuel Quiroga (no. 6). In addition to being celebrated violinists, Enescu and Kreisler were also noted composers.
According to MacQueen, Ysaÿe tailored each sonata to the dedicatee. “Ysaÿe took into account the recipient of the dedication. You can get a glimpse of who a sonata was intended for just by listening to it.”
MacQueen said it wasn’t too difficult dividing up the six pieces. She’ll play nos. 3 and 4; Porter will play the first two; and Martin will take on the last two. The only question that needed to be resolved when the three were making their decision was who wanted to play no. 6, because it’s fiendishly virtuosic. “Alex said, ‘I’ll do it,’” MacQueen said. “And by coincidence, he had already studied no. 5.”
There is somewhat of a direct link between MacQueen and Ysaÿe: her teacher at the Curtis Institute of Music, Jascha Brodsky, was a student of Ysaÿe’s, as was Josef Gingold, another one of MacQueen’s teachers.
MacQueen spoke for all three violinists when she said that the process of putting this program together was a time for them to bond as friends and musicians. “This has been a collaborative effort,” she said, “because we played the sonatas for each other and got feedback.
“That’s been a good experience, and it’s also been fun.”
- CONCERT DETAILS
- What: Westminster Concert Series, Ysaÿe Violin Sonatas, with violinists Yuki MacQueen, David Porter and Alex Martin
- Venue: Vieve Gore Concert Hall, Westminster College
- Time and Date: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 26
- Tickets: $15 general, students and Westminster faculty and staff free with ID
- Phone: 801-832-2457
- Web: www.westminstercollege.edu/culturalevents