Saint-Saëns, Camille : Violin Sonata No.1 d-moll Op.75
Work Overview
Publication Year：1885
Dedicated to：Martin-Pierre-Joseph Marsick
Instrumentation：Chamber Music
Genre：sonata
Total Playing Time：23 min 10 sec
Copyright：Public Domain
Commentary (2)
Author : Nakanishi, Mitsuya
Last Updated: March 12, 2018
[Open]
Author : Nakanishi, Mitsuya
Overview 1
"The year before, Swann had heard a piece played on piano and violin at a soirée. At first, he had only been able to appreciate the material characteristics of the sounds emanating from the instruments. But it became a great joy when, from beneath the violin's slender yet persistent, dense, leading little melodic line, the piano part suddenly surged forth like the sound of ripples, colliding as various shaped yet indivisible planes, reminiscent of undulating mauve waves, enchanted by moonlight and lowered by a semitone." (From À la recherche du temps perdu, Vol. 2, "Swann's Way II," by Marcel Proust, translated by Kazuyoshi Yoshikawa, Iwanami Bunko)
What was the model for the sonata by the fictional musician Vinteuil? While this has long been a debated question, a simple equation such as 'Vinteuil's sonata equals so-and-so's sonata' does not seem to hold. As it is ultimately a fictional sonata, it is thought that Proust reconstructed it by extracting elements from multiple models based on his musical experiences up to that point. At the very least, it can be said that "the model for the 'petite phrase' in the early stages of conception and writing was Saint-Saëns's First Sonata (past tense)." Given that it is such a long novel, and one that the author revised numerous times before its publication, it is not at all surprising that its direction might have been adjusted along the way.
Saint-Saëns and Proust (and Reynaldo Hahn) is a grand theme that could fill an entire book, and this space cannot do it justice, but it can at least be said that Proust's evaluation and attitude towards Saint-Saëns changed. As noted in the paperback edition of the above quote, in a letter dated April 20, 1918, Proust stated: "For the scene at Madame de Saint-Euverte's soirée, I had in mind a passage from Saint-Saëns's Sonata for Piano and Violin – though he is not a composer I particularly like – a passage that is pleasant but can only be described as mediocre (I can tell you exactly where that passage, which recurs many times, is; it is the one that Jacques Thibaud played to great acclaim)." (Translated by Yoshikawa) However, it would be unnatural to deliberately use a passage from a composer one does not like as the model for a crucial key passage in one's own novel. In fact, earlier, when he was much younger, Proust was favorably disposed towards Saint-Saëns and sought to gain his acquaintance. He visited Dieppe, a coastal town in Normandy, with Hahn in August 1895, and Saint-Saëns was also staying there at the same time; they met through Madame Lemaire. On December 14 of the same year, he contributed an article praising the composer titled 'Parisian Notables: Camille Saint-Saëns' to Le Gaulois, and at that time (presumably along with the newspaper) even handed him a business card with a message. Given that Saint-Saëns was so meticulous that he preserved even such a small piece of paper until his death (and it still exists today), Hahn's testimony that Saint-Saëns confused Proust with Hahn might be true, but one cannot help but feel a hint of malice. While it is difficult to definitively determine the cause of Proust's change in evaluation due to a lack of direct evidence, it was likely due to Saint-Saëns's anti-Wagner campaign during World War I. At that time, there was an overwhelming difference in artistic status between Saint-Saëns, who was a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts, and Proust, who had not yet received the Goncourt Prize, and there is no evidence of a close personal relationship (no letters remain other than the aforementioned business card); therefore, it should be seen not as a falling out, but rather as a unilateral change of heart on Proust's part, who admired Wagner. However, in this way, Saint-Saëns made many enemies, which continues to cast a shadow on his reputation even today. Nevertheless, while Proust's works primarily depict life within salons, they serve as a valuable reference for understanding the social customs and atmosphere of the time, including how music was enjoyed, and will likely help in grasping the imagery when performing or listening to Saint-Saëns's music.
Author : Nakanishi, Mitsuya
Last Updated: March 12, 2018
[Open]
Author : Nakanishi, Mitsuya
Overview 2
Composed in October 1885.
- First Movement, Part 1: Allegro agitato, 6/8 time, D minor, Sonata form.
- First Movement, Part 2: Adagio, 3/4 time, E-flat major, Ternary form.
- Second Movement, Part 1: Allegretto moderato, 3/8 time, G minor, Ternary form.
- Second Movement, Part 2: Allegro molto, 4/4 time, D major, Sonata form.
The technique of dividing each of the two movements into two parts, creating a structure that resembles four movements, and unifying the whole with a cyclic theme, was already seen in Piano Concerto No. 4 (1875). It is also considered to be closely related to the Symphony No. 3 (with Organ), composed the year after this sonata. The work is dedicated to Martin Marsick (1847-1924), the teacher of Jacques Thibaud (1880-1953), who was mentioned in the previous Overview 1. It is interesting to note that Saint-Saëns' violin works played a significant role in the careers of both as violinists. Saint-Saëns toured Switzerland with Marsick in November 1884, the year before the composition, and this sonata was dedicated in commemoration of that trip. While there is a theory that the premiere took place in 1885, and a private performance is certainly possible, following Sabina Teller Ratner's catalog, the premiere is attributed to Marsick and the composer himself on January 9, 1886.
The first part of the first movement begins with the first theme (Theme A), a barcarolle.
Example 1. Theme A
After Theme A is repeated once more, the second theme (Theme B) appears in F major.
Example 2. Theme B
This becomes the cyclic theme and is also the model for the short musical phrase in Proust's Vinteuil's Sonata. The description of the "thin but persistent, dense, leading little melodic line of the violin" and the piano's accompaniment figure "welling up like the sound of ripples" applies to Theme B, and no other theme could be considered as beautiful a phrase as this, which "Jacques Thibaud performed to great acclaim." After the exposition concludes with Theme A, a fugue based on the third theme (Theme C), derived from Theme A, begins as the development section. However, here it remains a brief introduction, and Theme B is sung out grandly again.
Example 3. Theme C
The beginning of the recapitulation is announced by Theme A, but then Theme C is developed in earnest here, blurring the boundaries of the recapitulation. Finally, Theme B is quietly recalled in E-flat major as a bridge to the second part. The second part of the first movement is played attacca without a break, and a meditative first theme (Theme D) appears, resembling a chorale with thick chords played by the organ.
Example 4. Theme D
After the second theme (Theme E), where the violin plays a lyrical melody, a swirling third theme (Theme F) is passed between the violin and piano, creating a large swell. Theme D returns, and the movement concludes with a coda formed by the recollection of Themes E and F.
Example 5. Theme E
Example 6. Theme F
The first part of the second movement corresponds to a scherzo. A humorous yet graceful dance-like melody (Theme G) is repeated, first by the violin, then by the piano.
Example 7. Theme G
In the middle section (trio), while the violin plays a long, leisurely melody (Theme H), the piano accompanies with a figure derived from Theme G.
Example 8. Theme H
After Theme G returns, the recollection of Theme H serves as a bridge to the second part. From the final solemn piano chord, the atmosphere instantly changes, and the second part begins.
Example 9. Theme I
The opening harmony is the dominant of D major, and the perpetuum mobile first theme (Theme I) marks the beginning of a difficult journey. After enduring for 44 measures, the expansive, joyful second theme (Theme J) appears in the dominant key of A major.
Example 10. Theme J
Again, the perpetuum mobile and the song of joy are repeated, but it is only with the appearance of this second song of joy that a sense of finality is achieved through the resolution from the dominant to the tonic of D major, meaning that true joy had not yet been reached until this point. In the development section, the cyclic theme (Theme B) returns, organically linking the entire sonata.
Example 11. Return of Theme B
The perpetuum mobile theme slips into the piano part, serving as a foreshadowing, and directly leads into the recapitulation based on Theme I. After Theme J and Theme B are sung briefly but grandly, the movement culminates in a final perpetuum mobile sprint, as if climbing a mountain, reaching its peak and concluding brilliantly. Saint-Saëns himself did not explicitly state a connection to Beethoven's "from struggle to triumph," it is believed that he was influenced, consciously or not, and this work serves as an homage to Beethoven. This concept is then carried over into the Symphony No. 3 (with Organ).
Movements (2)
Allegretto Moderato - Allegro molto
Total Performance Time: 10 min 30 sec
PTNA & Partner Channel Videos(4items)
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Recording Date: 2006/9/17
Recording Location: Central Presbyterian Church, Ohio
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Recording Date: 2006/9/17
Recording Location: Central Presbyterian Church, Ohio
