Legacy - 12 November

On November 12, the Francis-Lee Duo presented a programme called Legacy to acknowledge the legacy of two major composers, the mighty Beethoven and the American composer Korngold. They performed Beethoven's Sonata for violin & piano No. 5 in F major ("Spring"), Op. 24 - Beethoven’s first violin sonata to have four movements, breaking away from the Classical three-movement sonata format. The “extra” movement is extremely short, but it perfectly bridges the sublime simplicity of the second movement and the gracious lyricism of the finale. Korngold's Much Ado About Nothing Suite arranged for violin & piano was produced and arranged for a production of Shakespeare's play at the Burgtheater in Vienna. It was originally scored for chamber orchestra but when orchestra members were not available to perform for an extended run of the play, Korngold quickly adapted the music for violin and piano and played the piano part himself at the later performances. To conclude the Francis-Lee Duo perform Beethoven's Sonata for violin & piano No. 8 in G major, Op. 30/3 (1801-1802) The Op. 30 sonatas (A major, C minor and G major) were developed during a traumatic period in Beethoven's life. Only four months after completing the Op. 30 set, Beethoven wrote what is now called the Heiligenstadt Testament, in which he attempts to admit to his brothers, and indeed to all people, that he is going deaf. In this amazing document, which appears never to have been sent, the composer discloses that he had seriously considered suicide. Despite, or possibly because of this psychological suffering, Beethoven completed his Second Symphony, the Bagatelles Op. 33, the Op. 31 Piano Sonatas and the Op. 30 Violin Sonatas during the spring, summer and fall of 1802. (Programme notes courtesy of AllMusic and Vancouver Recital Society)