JANÁCEK, Leos
Sonata for violin and piano JW VII/7
IV. Adagio
Ralf Gothóni, Guest Professor
Satie Group from Bain (22-23)
Sara Zeneli, violin
Mikhail Tolstov, piano
At the beginning, because of the harmonies that conclude the third movement, the professor recommends playing the latter “quasi attacca”.
After the uninterrupted performance of the movement, Gothóni offers some guidance to the pianist regarding pedal use and shares reflections on the atmosphere and emotional character they should convey as a duo. To achieve this, it is important that they analyse the form of the work very carefully so that they can build its overarching emotional architecture. The pianist should not feel the metronome, but rather play with a freer pulse and less calculation.
For the ending, he indicates how the breathing should be: short, as if they were about to die or cry. Regarding the “Poco mosso” passages, Gothóni plays two different possibilities with the violinist for the first and for the second (repeat). At a certain point, the violin’s pauses should be shorter to create a greater sense of tension before the relaxation.
In conclusion, the professor says that it is worth working on this fantastic sonata and mentions other essential works by this composer.
Language: English
