César Franck's Sonata for Piano and Violin is one of the most treasured works in the violin repertoire, a masterpiece of cyclic form with a gracefulness and expressive force almost paradigmatic for the age of musical Romanticism. This work was composed in 1886 and was dedicated to the Belgian violinist and composer Eugene Ysaye.After Franck's death in 1890 the original publisher of the Sonata, the Parisian house Julien Hamelle, announced an arrangement of the work for viola, but it has not been possible to locate any copy of this publication. The present arrangement for viola is largely based on Jules Delsart's arrangement for piano and cello, the only version of the Sonata which the composer authorized. However, the viola part here also adopts extensive passages in their original register or remains in the middle octave, especially in those passages where the cello lies two octaves beneath the violin. Being set in the alto register, the part thus lies between the other two string versions, lending the Sonata a delightful hybrid hue beyond the brilliance of the violin and the sonorousness of the cello. The piano part has been left intact and is thus identical to that of the original version. / Alto Et Piano

Brahms had already announced his ?retirement' from composition when in the spring of 1894 he played chamber music with the cellist Robert Hausmann and the clarinettist Richard Mühlfeld. This encounter apparently renewed his enthusiasm for Mühlfeld's much admired playing and inspired him to write two clarinet sonatas in the summer of the same year. It remains unclear when exactly Brahms drafted viola parts to his two sonatas. In any case the viola and clarinet versions of the works were first published by Simrock at the same time in 1895. Today there is no doubt about Brahms' authorship of the viola parts. They include important differences from the clarinet original in order to do justice to this string instrument.An important part of this edition is the extensive preface. Firstly it informs about the sonatas' origins, their compositional process, pre-publication performances, their publication history as well as early reception. Truly remarkable is the unique Performance Practice Commentary. Here the editors start from the premise that already a few decades after Brahms' death, a widening gulf developed between the composer's expectations and the performance practices of the early 20th century. On the basis of manifold sources which include memoirs by pupils and chamber music partners, treatises and essays, early instructive editions and historical recordings, the editors deal with key issues in understanding Brahms' notation. By a section-by-section analysis of rhythm and timing, dynamics and accentuation, dots and strokes, slurring and non legato, piano pedalling and overholding, piano arpeggiation and dislocation, string instrument fingering, string instrument harmonics and vibrato, the editors provide an indispensable assistance for a historically informed interpretation of the works.At the same time, the edition offers an exciting and often surprising insight into musical interpretation of the German Romantic Era in general.- A pioneering Urtext edition- With an unmarked Urtext part- With a second part including fingering and bowing based on the practices of contemporaries of Brahms- With an extensive Performance Practice Commentary- For further information on Romantic performance practice we recommend the text booklet: 'Performance Practices in Johannes Brahms' Chamber Music?, BA 9600 / Alto Et Piano

Par MILHAUD DARIUS. 1st Sonata was written by Darius Milhaud and is based on anonymous tunes of the XVIII century and was dedicated to Germain Prevost. Initially composed for Viola and Orchestra, this score features the Viola and Piano scores. It is composed of four distinct parts: 1. Entree 2. Française 3. Air 4. Final Fairly difficult, this Sonata can be used for recitals and contests by upper-intermediate players. Born in 1892, Darius Milhaud became a professor at the Paris Conservatoire after the WWII, and composed a wide musical repertoire. One of thecharacteristic of the music he composed was its polytonality and its numerous influences (mainly French Provence, Jazz, South American and Jewish)./ Répertoire / Alto et Piano

Par WAGNER RICHARD / HENZE HANS WERNER. After Poems By Mathilde Wesendonck/ Répertoire / Alto et Orchestre de Chambre ou Piano