Kōda, Nobu : Violin sonata No.1
Work Overview
Instrumentation:Chamber Music
Genre:sonata
Copyright:Public Domain
Commentary (1)
Author : Sugiura, Nanako
Last Updated: June 18, 2025
[Open]
Author : Sugiura, Nanako
- Movement 1: Allegro con brio
- Movement 2: Adagio
- Movement 3: Allegro (Rondo)
This work is positioned as the first full-fledged violin sonata by a Japanese composer. At the time of its composition, Koda was 25 years old. After graduating from the Tokyo Music School and studying in America, she was studying in Vienna, and the fruits of her diligent study of Western classical styles are prominently evident throughout the work. Although it adopts a three-movement structure, the third movement was left unfinished (up to measure 128) and was completed by composer Shin-ichiro Ikebe, establishing its current performance form.
In Meiji-era Japan, as Western music was institutionally and educationally introduced, Koda was a pioneering figure who sublimated its musical language into practical compositions. Thus, this work is not only of high historical value but also a masterpiece that conveys the fresh emotion of Koda Nobu, a musician.