Z. Alieva

Sonata for Violin and Piano by C. Franck: The Ways of Comprehension (About Artistic-Conceptual Foundations of Performing Interpretation)

The article is devoted to the artistic-conceptual comprehension of Sonata for Violin and Piano by Cesar Franck as one of the most significant examples in the chamber instrumental repertoire of the 19th century. The researcher ascertains the impressive diapason of performing interpretations conformably to the named Sonata (L. Auer, G. Enescu, D. Oistrakh, S. Richter) predetermines on the one hand by extraordinary substantial richness of this work, and on the second hand, by aspiration of each celebrated musician-interpreter for boldly setting off some priority or dominating aspect of the recreated content. The author of the article thinks that contemporary performers comprehending imagery and sense dynamics in Sonata by C. Franck have to allow for “symphonic” intentions of the elucidated opus (chamber ensemble cycle as “symphony in miniature”) and suitable interpretation of substantial sphere from a position of universal “sound picture of the world”. In addition such “universalism” is characteristic of C. Franck’s individual style (“His… sound material is beautiful and to the highest degree complicated amalgam”, as B. Asafiev marked), it permits to examine the artistic conception of Sonata as realization of organically attending imagery and sense antitheses. Indissoluble correlation of these antitheses is conditioned by the positive and harmonious composer’s outlook which is engraved in the mature symphonic and chamber ensemble scores by C. Franck (the later 1870s and 1880s).

Key words

C. Franck, Sonata for Violin and Piano, performing interpretation, artistic-conceptual approach.

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