Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 39 for violin and piano; Louise Farrenc (Hildegard)

Louise Farrenc (1804-1875) was fairly well-known in her time as a pianist and a teacher. She was appointed in 1842 to the position of Professor of Piano at the Paris Conservatory and successfully lobbied for equal pay, with the support of her male colleagues. But she was also known as a composer, garnering the admiration of contemporaries like Robert Schumann. Her wonderful music is undoubtedly romantic but strongly informed by the classical period.

The Sonata, Op. 39 for Piano and Violin in A Major offers challenges to both instrumentalists. It is a large, four movement work. In the first movement the piano introduces both the rhapsodic first and lyrical second themes. The violin speaks first in the second movement, both in the spritely "A" section in minor and the legato "B" section in the parallel major. The piano again introduces the theme in the Adagio, a movement that tests the lyrical capabilities of both performers. In the Finale, the instruments are more interdependent, with melody and countermelody exchanged by the performers at a breathtaking pace. This romantic work has an overall effect of joy and exuberance.

In this newly engraved edition, the violin part has been edited, reflecting new bowings, articulation, and fingerings. edited by Francene Calve