Trans
figured Life - Still
Life, Op. 165 (violin and
piano) - David
Braid
I am keen on
concise musical forms
such as Prelude and
Fugue, where there is one
clear straightforward
idea, followed by another
that is more involved and
developed.
In
keeping with that idea,
this work consists of two
distinct pieces, the
first - Transfigured Life
- aims to draw in the
listener with its quick,
dancing rhythm and
simple, melodic violin
part. It 'transfigures'
via a few short solo
piano interludes into
just two alternating
notes to end - which are
the core of the original
idea, now made clear by
clearing everything else
out of the
way.
The second
piece - Still Life -
retains its sense of
stillness through an
uncomplicated piano line
that gives lots of space
for the violin's
contrasting (but again
simple) part. As an
absolute, not
programmatic, piece the
title refers to the
atmospheric colour and
pacing only; it's up to
the listener to see
'Still life' of their
choosing in their own
mind.
A note on
performance: Despite
my reference to 'simple'
lines, and the work's
determined avoidance of
mainstream modernist
squeak - the work has
certain performance
challenges of phrasing
and ensemble that
requires considerable
skill and musicianship.
The work has had the
privilege of being
recently recorded by
violinist Ezgi
Sarıkcıoğlu and
pianist Rossitza
Stoycheva, and is
available on all major
platforms:
Violin, piano SKU: BR.SON-454 Complete Works. Composed by Felix Ba...(+)
Violin, piano
SKU:
BR.SON-454
Complete Works.
Composed by Felix
Bartholdy Mendelssohn.
Edited by Birgit Muller.
Solo instruments; Linen.
Complete Works. Romantic
period. Complete Works.
Breitkopf and Haertel
#SON 454. Published by
Breitkopf and Haertel
(BR.SON-454).
ISBN
9790004803646. 9 x 12
inches.
The Violin
Concerto in E minor, op.
64, and the Sonata in F
minor, op. 4, are the
only works for solo
violin that Mendelssohn
had had printed during
his lifetime. However,
his complete oeuvre
includes other completed
or fragmentary
compositions, including
two further concertos and
several unfinished
sonatas and other
individual pieces. He
himself had an
extraordinary command of
the violin and entrusted
the instrument in several
other works, such as the
Octet op. 20 or the
concert aria Infelice! -
Ah, ritorno, eta
dell'oro, with special
tasks. Nevertheless, with
regard to details of
playing technique, he
usually sought advice
from solo violinist
friends, first from
Eduard Ritz, then, after
Ritz's early death, from
Ferdinand David. The
present volume contains
all of the completed and
fragmentary compositions
for violin and piano that
have survived - from the
early Prelude and Fugue
in D and G minor from
Zelter's practice book
(1820), which can be
assigned without doubt,
through to the Sonata in
F major (1838) in their
various versions.