Solo Voices
This program grew out of my desire to explore my own voice as an artist, the solo violin music I purchased during the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in no small part my desperation to break free of the creative block I was experiencing in response to the overwhelm of the world. While getting to know my own voice, I also wanted to explore the voices of composers who were closer to myself in history than the unaccompanied works traditionally performed by violinists, and was delighted to discover the works on this program.
For all of us, the lockdowns provided ample time spent with the idea of solitude, whether experiencing far too much of it, or craving even a single second of it. I spent much of the first year of the pandemic in a basement apartment with virtually no natural light, and emerging into the daylight for my mental health walks was a shock to the system. Even as I returned to the in-person world, I still took solo walks, and this summer went on a silent retreat for a weekend, staying in a hermitage at a monastery for two days. I have experienced being alone as loneliness, suffocating, comforting, joyful, a relief, time to meditate on grief, a swirl of thoughts that couldn't be calmed, and even triumphant. This program explores all of those emotions and more.
Four Songs of Solitude (1985)
John Harbison (b. 1938)
I.
II.
These songs were written as a gift for the composer's wife, a violinist. He writes, "They are songs, not sonatas or fugues. The first song often returns to its initial idea, always to go a different way; the constant lyrical outward flow is balanced by a refrain line that occurs twice. The second song begins with a folk-song like melody, which is immediately answered by a more athletic idea in a key a half step higher. The dialogue between these ideas eventually fuses them together.
The solitude is the composer's, but even more the performer's. The player's world is like that of the long distance runner, especially in challenging pieces like these, and I wanted our conversation in those hours of preparation to contain subjects of equal interest to both. The listeners can, if they wish, add in their own inner distances."
Sonata for Violin Solo, Op. 115 (1947)
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)
I. Moderato
II. Andante: Theme and Variations
III. Con Brio - Allegro precipitato
Sergei Prokofiev is probably the most well-known composer on this program, and his violin works include a sonata for two violins, as well as two sonatas for violin and piano and two violin concertos. On a personal level, the opening of Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kije Suite is one of my earliest musical memories. My father used to tell me a story about soldiers marching through our neighborhood as the music progressed - but of course, when I ran to the window to see them, I would always have just missed them. Experiences like these with both my parents introduced me to music in a very imaginative way, which still influences me as a musician today. While not programmatic, the solo sonata contains several distinctive characters and Prokofiev's signature musical humor - and many technical challenges for the violinist!
Rhapsody No. 1 for Solo Violin (2014)
Jessie Montgomery (b. 1981)
From the composer: "Rhapsody No. 1 is the first solo violin piece I wrote for myself. It draws on inspiration from the Eugène Ysaÿe solo violin works and is intended to serve as both an etude and a stand-alone work. This piece is intended to be part of a set of 6 solo violin works, each of which will be dedicated to a different contemporary violinist, and inspired by an historical composer."
String Tunes (2006-2020)
Caroline Mallonée (b. 1975)
Crescent
Prospect
The Way Home
From the composer: "String Tunes is a collection of solos and small ensembles pieces. The title is descriptive: some of these pieces are in just intonation; some of the movements are played scordatura (retuned); and some of the music is inspired by fiddle tunes.Many of the pieces fall into the category of “Finger Music,” a term I use for music that is about the left hand: one finger pattern is repeated on different strings. Because the “Finger Music” pieces are left-hand conceptions, many of these pieces can be played on violin, viola, or cello.
I began String Tunes while in residence at the MacDowell Colony in New Hampshire in 2006. I wanted to have music to share with the other artists-in-residence, so I started making music for myself to play on the violin. At the end of my residency, I presented a recital for my fellow colonists; this was the first performance of some of the String Tunes. Composing these pieces was unusually visceral for me — it was about the feel of the violin, the fingers on the fingerboard, and easy double stops. It was about having fun with finger patterns. Notating the pieces came after I had worked them out on the instrument. (Obviously, this is quite different than how I compose for a chamber group or for orchestra.) I have since added many more solos, a few duos and trios and one quartet."
Polish Capriccio for Solo Violin (1949)
Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-1969)
This is the first of three solo caprices by the composer, who was an influential and prolific figure in Polish music in the early 20th century. Bacewicz was simultaneously an excellent composer and virtuoso violinist whose teachers included Nadia Boulanger and Carl Flesch. Other works include a Concertino for Violin and Piano, and several violin sonatas and concertos. This Caprice, like many of her works, combines Polish folk melodies and virtuoso violin playing.
For all of us, the lockdowns provided ample time spent with the idea of solitude, whether experiencing far too much of it, or craving even a single second of it. I spent much of the first year of the pandemic in a basement apartment with virtually no natural light, and emerging into the daylight for my mental health walks was a shock to the system. Even as I returned to the in-person world, I still took solo walks, and this summer went on a silent retreat for a weekend, staying in a hermitage at a monastery for two days. I have experienced being alone as loneliness, suffocating, comforting, joyful, a relief, time to meditate on grief, a swirl of thoughts that couldn't be calmed, and even triumphant. This program explores all of those emotions and more.
Four Songs of Solitude (1985)
John Harbison (b. 1938)
I.
II.
These songs were written as a gift for the composer's wife, a violinist. He writes, "They are songs, not sonatas or fugues. The first song often returns to its initial idea, always to go a different way; the constant lyrical outward flow is balanced by a refrain line that occurs twice. The second song begins with a folk-song like melody, which is immediately answered by a more athletic idea in a key a half step higher. The dialogue between these ideas eventually fuses them together.
The solitude is the composer's, but even more the performer's. The player's world is like that of the long distance runner, especially in challenging pieces like these, and I wanted our conversation in those hours of preparation to contain subjects of equal interest to both. The listeners can, if they wish, add in their own inner distances."
Sonata for Violin Solo, Op. 115 (1947)
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)
I. Moderato
II. Andante: Theme and Variations
III. Con Brio - Allegro precipitato
Sergei Prokofiev is probably the most well-known composer on this program, and his violin works include a sonata for two violins, as well as two sonatas for violin and piano and two violin concertos. On a personal level, the opening of Prokofiev's Lieutenant Kije Suite is one of my earliest musical memories. My father used to tell me a story about soldiers marching through our neighborhood as the music progressed - but of course, when I ran to the window to see them, I would always have just missed them. Experiences like these with both my parents introduced me to music in a very imaginative way, which still influences me as a musician today. While not programmatic, the solo sonata contains several distinctive characters and Prokofiev's signature musical humor - and many technical challenges for the violinist!
Rhapsody No. 1 for Solo Violin (2014)
Jessie Montgomery (b. 1981)
From the composer: "Rhapsody No. 1 is the first solo violin piece I wrote for myself. It draws on inspiration from the Eugène Ysaÿe solo violin works and is intended to serve as both an etude and a stand-alone work. This piece is intended to be part of a set of 6 solo violin works, each of which will be dedicated to a different contemporary violinist, and inspired by an historical composer."
String Tunes (2006-2020)
Caroline Mallonée (b. 1975)
Crescent
Prospect
The Way Home
From the composer: "String Tunes is a collection of solos and small ensembles pieces. The title is descriptive: some of these pieces are in just intonation; some of the movements are played scordatura (retuned); and some of the music is inspired by fiddle tunes.Many of the pieces fall into the category of “Finger Music,” a term I use for music that is about the left hand: one finger pattern is repeated on different strings. Because the “Finger Music” pieces are left-hand conceptions, many of these pieces can be played on violin, viola, or cello.
I began String Tunes while in residence at the MacDowell Colony in New Hampshire in 2006. I wanted to have music to share with the other artists-in-residence, so I started making music for myself to play on the violin. At the end of my residency, I presented a recital for my fellow colonists; this was the first performance of some of the String Tunes. Composing these pieces was unusually visceral for me — it was about the feel of the violin, the fingers on the fingerboard, and easy double stops. It was about having fun with finger patterns. Notating the pieces came after I had worked them out on the instrument. (Obviously, this is quite different than how I compose for a chamber group or for orchestra.) I have since added many more solos, a few duos and trios and one quartet."
Polish Capriccio for Solo Violin (1949)
Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-1969)
This is the first of three solo caprices by the composer, who was an influential and prolific figure in Polish music in the early 20th century. Bacewicz was simultaneously an excellent composer and virtuoso violinist whose teachers included Nadia Boulanger and Carl Flesch. Other works include a Concertino for Violin and Piano, and several violin sonatas and concertos. This Caprice, like many of her works, combines Polish folk melodies and virtuoso violin playing.