From March 1816 to August 1817, Franz Schubert composed four violin sonatas. All four were published after the composer's death: the first three, 384, 385 and 408, as Sonatinas in 1836, and the last one,, as Duo in 1851. Schubert composed two more pieces for violin and piano, in October 1826 and December 1827 respectively: a Rondo,, which was published during the composer's lifetime, and a Fantasy, D 934, which was premiered in January 1828, less than a year before the composer's death. The 1816–1817 sonatas breathe an intimate atmosphere, requiring no virtuoso bravura from their performers, while the 1826–1827 pieces, composed for the Bohemian violinist, have been characterized as more demanding, also for the pianist, and have a more extroverted character.
Sonatas (1816–1817)
Schubert was an accomplished violinist and had already extensively composed for violin, including over a dozen string quartets, by the time he started to write violin sonatas at age 19.
Sonatinas Op. 137
The compositions for violin and piano D 384, 385 and 408 were named Sonata in Schubert's autographs. They were named Sonatina when published posthumously as Op. 137 in 1836. Since these works are modest in size—rather to be compared to Mozart's violin sonatas than to Beethoven's—the "Sonatina" diminutive stuck to them.
No. 1 in D major, D 384
Schubert wrote "März 1816" on the autograph score of his Sonata for Violin and Piano in D major. The sonata has three movements:
Allegro molto
Andante
Allegro vivace
No. 2 in A minor, D 385
Titled "Sonata II" and dated March 1816 in the autograph, the Sonata for Violin and Piano in A minor has four movements:
There is no extant autograph of the Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major, D 574, but there is an early manuscript copy titling the work as Sonate, and indicating its time of composition as August 1817. It was named Duo when published as Op. 162 in 1851. It has four movements:
Allegro moderato
Scherzo: Presto
Andantino
Allegro vivace
Rondo (1826) and Fantasy (1827)
Both the Rondo in B minor, D 895, and the Fantasy in C major, D 934, were apparently composed for the Czech violist Josef Slavík and the pianist Carl Maria von Bocklet: they performed these works before Schubert's death in November 1828.
''Rondeau brillant'', D 895
In his autograph, dated October 1826, Schubert indicated as "Rondo". It was published in April 1827 by Artaria as the composer's Op. 70, titled Rondeau brillant. The composition is in B minor and has two sections: an introductory Andante followed by an Allegro in sonata rondo form.
For the Fantasy in C major, D 934, which was composed in December 1827, the name given by Schubert, Fantaisie, corresponds with that of its first publication in 1850 as Op. 159. The work is in one movement with several sections:
Andante molto
Allegretto
Andantino
:This section consists of four variations on a variant of the tune of Schubert's lied.
Allegro vivace
Reception
The Rondo in B minor, D 895, was performed by Josef Slavík and Carl Maria von Bocklet at music publisher Domenico Artaria's, in Schubert's presence, probably early 1827. At the time, the work was well-received. According to a note written by Joseph Joachim in October 1857, he had performed this work with Marie Wieck. Documented 19th-century public performances include:
20 January 1828: Fantasy, D 934, premiered by Josef Slavík and Carl Maria von Bocklet in the Landhaussaal in Vienna. A contemporary critic was dismissive about the work for its length.
7 February 1864: Fantasie, Op. 159, in the Gewandhaus.
3 March 1864: first public performance of Duo, Op. 162, in the Musikverein.
The publication of Schubert's works for violin and piano had started in 1827 and was completed quarter of a century later. The pieces were recorded in the 20th and 21st century.
Publication
The 19th-century collected edition published Schubert's compositions for piano and one other instrument in its eighth series in 1886, edited by Ignaz Brüll. The first six pieces in that volume were Schubert's compositions for violin and piano, all of which had been published before:
1827, published by Artaria & Co.: Rondeau Brillant, Op. 70
1836, published by Diabelli & Co.: Drei Sonatinen für Piano-Forte und Violine, Op. posth. 137
1850, published by Diabelli & Co.: Fantasie, Op. posth. 159
1851, published by Diabelli & Co.: Duo pour Piano et Violon, Op. posth. 162
1984: Schubert: Complete Works for Violin and Piano. Gérard Poulet and Noël Lee. Arion ARN 268006.
1988: Schubert: 3 Sonatinas, Op. posth. 137; Duo, Op. 162; Rondo, Op. 70; Fantaisie, Op. posth. 159. Isaac Stern and Daniel Barenboim. Sony Classical S2K 44504. Re-issued in Daniel Barenboim: A Retrospective.
