Violin Sonata No. 1 (Brahms)

Violin Sonata in G major
No. 1
by Johannes Brahms
The opening violin part
Key	G major
Opus	78
Composed	1878 (1878)–1879
Performed	8 November 1879 (1879-11-08): Bonn
Movements	three

The Violin Sonata No. 1 in G major, Op. 78, "Regensonate", for violin and piano was composed by Johannes Brahms during the summers of 1878 and 1879 in Pörtschach am Wörthersee. It was first performed on 8 November 1879 in Bonn, by the husband and wife Robert Heckmann (violin) and Marie Heckmann-Hertig (piano).^[1]^[2]

Structure

External audio
Performed by Josef Suk and Julius Katchen
I. Vivace ma non troppo
II. Adagio
III. Allegro molto moderato

Each of the three movements of this sonata shares common motivic ideas or thematic materials from the principal motif of Brahms's two songs "Regenlied" and "Nachklang", Op. 59, and this is why this sonata is also called the "Rain Sonata" (Regensonate).^[2]

The first movement, Vivace ma non troppo is written in sonata form in G major; the second movement, Adagio – Più andante – Adagio, is an expanded ternary form in E♭ major, and the third movement, Allegro molto moderato is a rondo in G minor with coda in G major. The dotted rhythm motif from the two songs is not only directly quoted as a leading theme in the third movement of this sonata but also constantly appearing as fragmented rhythmic motif throughout the all three movements of the sonata so that the entire sonata has a certain coherency. The rhythm of the rain motif appearing in the middle section of the second movement is adapted to a funeral march. The two disruptive appearances of the main theme of the Adagio in the third movement also represent cyclic form used in this sonata.

Transcriptions

Brahms arranged the sonata (in D-major) for cello and piano.^[3] Others have also arranged it for cello and piano, including Paul Klengel (published by Simrock in 1897)^[4] and Laszlo Varga (cello part only).^[5] Arrangements for viola and piano have also be made, including by Leonard Davis,^[6] Csaba Erdélyi,^[7] and Thomas Riebl.^[8]

References

^ Potter, Tully. "Mutter / Orkis: The Brahms Violin Sonatas". www.deutschegrammophon.com. Deutsche Grammophon.
^ ^a ^b "Violin Sonata No. 1 in G major, Op. 78, Regensonate". earsense. Archived from the original on 24 October 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
^ "Happiness Is Playing a 'Lost' Brahms Cello Sonata" by Harold C. Schonberg, The New York Times, August 4, 1974
^ https://imslp.org/wiki/Special:ImagefromIndex/105408/hfjn and http://catalog.hathitrust.org/api/volumes/oclc/33459779.html
^ https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/10925918
^ https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/7888403
^ https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/262839390
^ https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1114206383

External links

Violin Sonata No. 1 (Brahms): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project

v t e Chamber music by Johannes Brahms
Duos	Cello Sonata No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38 Cello Sonata No. 2 in F major, Op. 99 Clarinet Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 120, No. 1 Clarinet Sonata No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 120, No. 2 Violin Sonata No. 1 in G major, Op. 78 Violin Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 100 Violin Sonata No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108
Trios	Clarinet Trio in A minor, Op. 114 Horn Trio in E-flat major, Op. 40 Piano Trio No. 1 in B major, Op. 8 Piano Trio No. 2 in C major, Op. 87 Piano Trio No. 3 in C minor, Op. 101 Piano Trio in A major, Anh. 4/5 (doubtful)
Quartets	Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25 Piano Quartet No. 2 in A major, Op. 26 Piano Quartet No. 3 in C minor, Op. 60 String Quartets, Op. 51 (No. 1 in C minor; No. 2 in A minor) String Quartet No. 3 in B-flat major, Op. 67
Quintets & Sextets	Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115 Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34 String Quintet No. 1 in F major, Op. 88 String Quintet No. 2 in G major, Op. 111 String Sextet No. 1 in B-flat major, Op. 18 String Sextet No. 2 in G major, Op. 36
List of compositions by Johannes Brahms

v t e Johannes Brahms
List of compositions
Orchestral works	Academic Festival Overture Serenades Symphony No. 1 in C minor Symphony No. 2 in D major Symphony No. 3 in F major Symphony No. 4 in E minor Tragic Overture Variations on a Theme by Haydn
Concertante	Double Concerto Piano Concerto No. 1 Piano Concerto No. 2 Violin Concerto
Vocal works with orchestra	A German Requiem Alto Rhapsody Gesang der Parzen Nänie Rinaldo Schicksalslied Triumphlied
Chamber music	Cello Sonata No. 1 Cello Sonata No. 2 Clarinet Quintet Clarinet Sonatas Clarinet Trio Horn Trio Piano Quartet No. 1 Piano Quartet No. 2 Piano Quartet No. 3 Piano Quintet Piano Trio No. 1 Piano Trio No. 2 Piano Trio No. 3 String Quartet No. 3 String Quintet No. 1 String Quintet No. 2 String Sextet No. 1 String Sextet No. 2 Two String Quartets, Op. 51 Violin Sonata No. 1 Violin Sonata No. 2 Violin Sonata No. 3
Piano works	Ballades, Op. 10 Fantasies, Op. 116 Four Pieces for Piano, Op. 119 Hungarian Dances Piano Sonata No. 1 Piano Sonata No. 2 Piano Sonata No. 3 Rhapsodies, Op. 79 Six Pieces for Piano, Op. 118 Sixteen Waltzes, Op. 39 Three Intermezzi for piano, Op. 117 Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel Variations on a Theme of Paganini
Other compositions	Eleven Chorale Preludes Fest- und Gedenksprüche Fünf Gesänge, Op. 104 Fünf Lieder, Op. 105 Geistliches Lied Liebeslieder Waltzes, Op. 52 Neue Liebeslieder Two Motets, Op. 74 Two Songs for Voice, Viola and Piano, Op. 91 Vier ernste Gesänge "Wiegenlied (Lullaby)", Op. 49, no. 4 Zigeunerlieder
Collaborations	F-A-E Sonata
Named for Brahms	1818 Brahms Brahms (crater) Brahms Inlet
Related articles	Brahms House (Baden-Baden) Brahms Museum (Hamburg) Brahms Museum, Mürzzuschlag Brahms guitar Brahms-Institut Brahms-Preis German Romanticism International Johannes Brahms Competition Musical cryptogram Three Bs Op. 120, No. 1 (Berio)
Category Audio

This page was last edited on 4 March 2024, at 05:30

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Structure

Transcriptions

References

Further reading

External links