# The only Mozart Violin Sonata in a minor key



## alessandrovle

Mozart's Sonata K 304 is the only violin Sonata in a minor key and the only composition in E minor he had ever written. This is really peculiar: Bach, Haydn, Beethoven and Schubert adopted this key many times.

It is well known that Mozart had just lost his mother when he composed this piece: do you think there is some intentional symbolism involved here? Why e minor?

I recently played this piece in a concert and I tried to to obtain a intense and sorrowful interpretation.
Let me know what you think about that, thank you.


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## Kjetil Heggelund

This is the Mozart violin sonata that I know the best. I think you 2 do a great job with it! I would love to hear a whole recital. Congratulations! It has actually been transcribed for guitar solo, my instrument, but I won't play that... 
Look here! 
from Christian Schubart's Ideen zu einer Aesthetik der Tonkunst (1806):
Na�ve, womanly innocent declaration of love, lament without grumbling; sighs accompanied by few tears; this key speaks of the imminent hope of resolving in the pure happiness of C major. 
...did a quick search. There are probably more definitions on "affective key characteristics"
http://biteyourownelbow.com/keychar.htm


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## alessandrovle

Thank you Kjetil! This Schubart's description is totally appropriate: not only Mozart's mother had died, Wolfgang had just broken his relationship with Aloysia Weber. These events explain the presence of a feminine element. Declaration of love for both? Sighs of course.. and hope!

I don't know where do you live: we are playing in London on the 26th February, an Italian Music Recital (Respighi, Malipiero, Dallapiccola, Quagliarini).

Do you have some video of you playing the guitar?


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## Kjetil Heggelund

I live in Hønefoss, 1 hour from Oslo, Norway. Hopefully I'll have a video after a recital 1st february, the Villa-Lobos concerto with piano. I'm on soundcloud as Kjetil Olav with some short garageband recordings. I usually only play locally a few times a year, trying to keep at it while teaching 16-19 year old highschool students guitar & music.

Your Italian program sounds like a nice one! Best wishes for your recital


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## TurnaboutVox

Thank you. By sheer coincidence I came upon your post immediately after listening to my recording of Hilary Hahn and Natalie Zhu playing the same sonata. You don't come out too badly from the comparison. I enjoyed your performances very much.


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## KenOC

I like this sonata, and greatly enjoyed your performance. Thank you! :clap:


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## alessandrovle

Thank you Kjetil! I am looking forward to listening to it! Good luck for your recital too. 

I've never been in Norway: I hope we could come for a concert soon!

Stay in touch


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## alessandrovle

Wow TurnaboutVox, what a coincidence! Thank you very much for your appreciation!


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## alessandrovle

KenOC said:


> I like this sonata, and greatly enjoyed your performance. Thank you! :clap:


Thank you!

P.s.: Just learned how to quote


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## isorhythm

I love this piece. I can't listen to your performance at work but will do so later.


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## D Smith

Thanks for posting this. I quite enjoyed your Duo's performance.


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## alessandrovle

D Smith said:


> Thanks for posting this. I quite enjoyed your Duo's performance.


Thank you for your message!


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## Kieran

Yeah, it was written around the same time as the great A-minor #8, K311. There were a few works written around the same time, while he was in Paris, and during the period of his mothers death. It's difficult to ascribe a work directly to any event in Mozart's life, he didn't compose the way Romantic composers did, pouring his grief almost egomaniacally into his work, but it's equally difficult to ignore the depth and passion in these two minor key works and I'd have to agree that this was informed by his mothers passing.

He still makes everything flawlessly beautiful, doesn't he? Wonderful performance by you both! :tiphat:


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## alessandrovle

Kieran said:


> Yeah, it was written around the same time as the great A-minor #8, K311. There were a few works written around the same time, while he was in Paris, and during the period of his mothers death. It's difficult to ascribe a work directly to any event in Mozart's life, he didn't compose the way Romantic composers did, pouring his grief almost egomaniacally into his work, but it's equally difficult to ignore the depth and passion in these two minor key works and I'd have to agree that this was informed by his mothers passing.
> 
> He still makes everything flawlessly beautiful, doesn't he? Wonderful performance by you both! :tiphat:


Thank you Kieran. That's the point: many scholars says that with Mozart is not possible to relate music to events in is life.. by the way this two pieces seem not following "this rule". As well as his Requiem...?

And the second point you underline is: he makes everything flawlessly beautiful. That's incredible!
And with "death" this is so Romantic: just think about Schubert (and Thomas Mann and etc etc).


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## Steatopygous

Thanks for posting your performance: very assured indeed, and very musical. It's really lovely for me to have such opportunities.


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## alessandrovle

Steatopygous said:


> Thanks for posting your performance: very assured indeed, and very musical. It's really lovely for me to have such opportunities.


Thank you! I am really happy that you have enjoyed it. I will post other links in the future. Best!


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## ArtMusic

You could almost hear Mozart "crying" in the opening bars but his spirit is resolved quite quickly.


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## alessandrovle

ArtMusic said:


> You could almost hear Mozart "crying" in the opening bars but his spirit is resolved quite quickly.


Oh I love Kuijken, thank you! In his lecture he changes mood almost immediately but I think this is a personal interpretation because in the score there is not such change in articulation: it works! Compared to this, I tried to underline more the sorrow aspect. This is the beauty of classical music: within some boundaries you can read the material and adapt it to your time and personal feelings.


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## Kieran

alessandrovle said:


> Thank you Kieran. That's the point: many scholars says that with Mozart is not possible to relate music to events in is life.. by the way this two pieces seem not following "this rule". As well as his Requiem...?
> 
> And the second point you underline is: he makes everything flawlessly beautiful. That's incredible!
> And with "death" this is so Romantic: just think about Schubert (and Thomas Mann and etc etc).


Exactly, although I'm not sure about the Requiem since that was a commissioned work and was bound to be laden with religious sorrows anyway. Mozart was most likely unaware that he was dying, as he'd often been sick before. But it's true, it would be a mistake for people to generally associate his works with events in his life. I've seen people say of the Musical Joke that it was written after his fathers death as a posthumous snub to his daddy. I think this kind of thinking is both crude and crass.

But the two minor key sonatas have a depth that it's very easy to associate with his personal feelings after his mother's passing, while not forgetting the other works he composed at this time which betray no sense of similar sorrow...


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## affettuoso

One of my favorite Mozart works -- and a lovely performance!


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