i. Allegro molto ed appassionato
ii. Allegretto espressivo alla Romanza – Allegro molto – Tempo I
iii. Allegro animato

Composed in 1886–7, this is the last of Grieg’s sonatas for violin and piano. When work was being prepared by publication by Peters in Leipzig, an editor wrote on the title page of the manuscript: ‘Bold and exuberant – the way I like it!’ It was a shrewd assessment of one of Grieg’s finest pieces of chamber music, composed during a golden age of violin and piano sonatas (Brahms, Franck and Fauré were writing theirs at around the same time as Grieg). In 1886, Grieg wrote to his publisher about a brilliant young violinist called Teresina Tua whose playing inspired him to finish the first draft in January 1887. A few months later Grieg played the work through with the violinist Johan Halvorsen and made some revisions. The first performance was given in Leipzig by Adolf Brodsky (Halvorsen’s teacher) on 10 December 1887, with Grieg at the piano. The Sonata was dedicated to the artist Franz von Lenbach. Grieg was delighted with the work and it remained a favourite of his.

After a passionate C minor opening, the first movement includes a gentler contrasting theme in E flat major. The second movement begins with a lyrical piano solo in E major, which gives way to a faster section that recalls Norwegian folk music. The main theme of the finale – from which much of what follows is derived – is first heard over a delicate piano ostinato. The sonata ends with this same theme presented in a blaze of C major.

© Nigel Simeone