# Mikhail Glinka. Sonata for viola and piano.



## Vicente (Aug 5, 2015)

*Mikhail Glinka. Sonata for viola and piano.*

This sonata is one of Glinka's youthful works, when he had not yet made his travels through Europe and had not received formal composition lessons. We can almost say that it is the work of an advanced amateur. However, this should not mislead us. We are before a work in which the young Glinka already demonstrates his innate melodic and compositional virtues. It should not be forgotten that Glinka, very critical of his early works, praised this sonata in his writings.

It was intended to be composed of three movements: Allegro, Andante and Rondo. However Glinka only completed the first movement and the viola part of the second. The piano part was completed in 1932 by Borisovsky. In his first manuscript Glinka titled this work sonata for piano with viola accompaniment.

This work was performed in the musical salons of St. Petersburg and the viola part was probably played by Glinka personally. It is the breakthrough of Romanticism in Russia, and the beginning of the recognition of Russian music internationally.

I have very much enjoyed the ten recordings I have listened to of this work, capturing two main ways of interpreting it: one in which the piano is the protagonist and the viola accompanies, and another in which there is a greater balance between the two instruments, even a slight protagonism of the viola. Yuri Bashmet's interpretation is a case apart, which I will comment on later.

The main theme of the first movement is wonderful. I also liked the humorous notes of the false coda in the middle of the Allegro moderato, whose transition is also very beautiful, and the pizzicato almost at the end of the movement. It is a lilting movement, which reminds me on many occasions of Argentinian tango, plaintive and romantic.

Of the second movement I would highlight the beginning with an entrance of the piano giving way later to the masterful viola and the end, with its notes suspended in the air, waiting for the Rondo that we will never hear.

*Recordings.*

*Good recordings. *

- *Maxim Rysanov (viola), Evelyn Chang (piano) (AVIE Records).* A recording with greater prominence for the viola, which maintains an extraordinary expressive lyricism. Good coordination of piano and viola, with an entrance in the second movement that I liked very much. As a flaw, they shorten the second movement a lot, eliminating some of Borisovski's additions.
- *Basil Vendryes (viola), William David (piano) (Toccata next).* A faster version, losing some of the lyricism and emotion of this work. It has a better balance between the instruments, with the viola losing some of the prominence. More as Glinka indicates in the third libretto.
- *Tatiana Masurenko (viola), Roglit Ishay (piano) (Profil 2012).* Nerve and excitement, somewhat fast. Very precise piano, with clear phrasing and fantastic sonority. Transition in the false ending of the first movement impeccable. Balance between the instruments.

*Very good recordings.*

-* Tatiana Masurenko (viola), Roglit Ishay (piano) (Profil 2010). *Great lyricism. Dramatic. Romanticism. Excellent ending of the second movement, which hangs in the air.
- *Nobuko Imai (viola), Rolan Pontinen (piano) (BIS). *Nervous and exciting, somewhat fast. Very precise piano, with clear phrasing and fantastic sonority. Transition in the impeccable false ending. Balance between the instruments, perhaps more prominence of the viola accompanying the piano.

*Excellent recording, although very personal*

- *Yuri Bashmet (viola), Mikhail Muntian (piano). (RCA)*. It is the slowest and the one that conveys the most passion, Bashmet dominating the work from beginning to end. Perhaps there are those who think it is too personal, the first movement is almost a minute longer than other versions. The piano does not lag behind Bashmet's mastery.


----------

