Presents
Ludwig Thuille
Violin Sonata No.2 in c minor, Op.30
Ludwig Thuille (1861-1907) was born in the then Austrian town of Bozen located in the South Tirol (now in Italy and called Bolzano). His remarkable talent for music was recognized at an early age. After a stint at the Innsbruck School of Music, Thuille studied with Josef Rheinberger at the Bavarian Royal Conservatory in Munich. Thuille befriended Richard Strauss when he was ten and they remained friends for the rest of Thuille's life. Strauss' influence on Thuille's music was certainly as great as that of Rheinberger. The last part of his life, Thuille spent as a music professor and composer, achieving considerable fame for his operas. He was the founder of the so-called New Munich School of composition. Among his many students was Ernest Bloch. Thuille wrote in most genres and often turned to chamber music.
His Second Violin Sonata dates from 1904. It bears all of the hallmarks of his mature style: brilliantly colored harmony, plastic but passionate melody with building blocks of great structural tension. The Adagio which comes next is by turns quiet and piece and then dramatic and full of passion. The finale, Allegro deciso, is characterized by its frenetic and restless energy.
This is an absolutely first rate, post Brahmsian late Romantic addition to the violin sonata repertoire. We hope it will take its place in the recital hall as well as on the stands of amateur violinists.
Parts: $24.95
