Richard Strauss composed his only violin sonata at the age of

twenty-three. In the words of one of the sonata’s champions,

violinist Vincent Skowronski, “From the outset, [the] opening

movement bursts forth with a glorious Straussian statement of

the principal theme. Then, by means of tonal colors, grandiose

thematic arching, and some Brahmsian patches of dramatic

impact, incorporated with unorthodox yet rich harmonic blends,

Strauss twirls and molds the elements of this movement into a

cohesive mixture of impassioned splendor.” This high voltage of

raw energy is replaced in the second movement by a quiet reserve

ofsuppressed emotion that finds Strauss in one of his most lyrical

and expressive moods. The third movement segues from a solemn

introduction into the joyous and irresistible optimism ofthz allegro

and climaxes in an energetic and muscularscherzando.

The German-American composer and conductor Franz

Waxman was a pupil of Arnold Schoenberg. He is best known

for his Hollywood film scores, which include the music for

Sunset Boulevard, Magnificent Obsession, and Stalag 11. Even

though a popular fantasy on themes from Bizet’s Carmen had

been contributed to the violin and piano repertoire by Pablo

Sarasate in 1883, Waxman decided in 1947 to write another

Carmen Fantasy for violin with orchestral accompaniment for the

renowned virtuoso Jascha Heifetz (1899-1987). Waxman later

used the same music in another of his film scores, Humoresque,

and subsequently arranged the work for violin and piano.

Program notes by Elmer Booze

Forthe convenience ofconcertgoers

the Garden Cafe remains open until 6:30p.m.

The use ofcameras or recording equipment

during theperformance is not allowed.

The Fifty-eighth Season of

THE WILLIAM NELSON CROMWELL and

F. LAMMOT BELIN CONCERTS

National Gallery ofArt

2330th Concert

AYAKO YOSHIDA, violinist

ANDREW ARMSTRONG, pianist

Sunday Evening, 2 January 2000

Seven O’clock

West Building, West Garden Court

Admissionfree
PROGRAM

Tommaso Antonio Vitale Ciaccona

(1663-1745)

Gabriel Laure

(1845-1924)

Sonata No. 1 in A Major, Op. 13 

(1875-1876)

Allegro molto

Andante

Allegro vivo

Allegro quasi presto

INTERMISSION

Richard Strauss Sonata in E-flat Major for Violin and Piano

(1864-1949) Op. 18 (1887)

Grave; Lento assai

Improvisation: Andante cantabile

Linale: Andante; allegro

Lranz Waxman

(1906-1967)

Carmen Lantasy for Violin and Piano

(after Bizet) (1947)

Selectionsfrom concerts atthe Gallery

can be heard on WGMS-FM, 103.5, on the

second Sunday ofeach month at 9:00p.m.

During the months ofJanuary, February, andMarch,

recentperformances by the

National Gallery Orchestra can be heard

on WETA-FM, 90.9, on Wednesdays at 9:00p.m.

Violinist Ayako Yoshida is well on herway to establishing an important

solo career. She has received high praise from the string magazine Strad

(‘Truly [an] impressive debut recital”) and the New York limes (“It was a

grippingperformance... Ms.Yoshidaplayedwithon-the-line commitment”).

She gained nationwide recognition when theConcertArtists Guild honored

her exceptional qualities with the 1993 Nathan Wedeen Management

Award.Apupil ofRobert Lipsett and Heiichiro Ohyama,Yoshida completed

herstudies attheCurtisInstituteofMusic in Philadelphiaunderthe tutelage

ofJaime Laredo. She is a frequent guest artist with the Chamber Music

SocietyofLincolnCenter. In addition to heractivityastheviolinistin the Los

Angeles PianoQuartet,Yoshidahas collaborated inchambermusicwithElmar

Oliveira, Paul Neubauer, Gary Hoffman, andAni Kavafian.Yoshida currently

residesin NewYorkCityand appears attheNational Gallerybyarrangement

with Melvin Kaplan, Incorporated, ofBurlington,Vermont.

Acclaimed for his lyrical style, pianist Andrew Armstrong has garnered

more than twenty-five first prizes in national and international competitions.

He has performed in the National Philharmonic Hall in Warsaw, Poland,

the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory in Russia, and in Tsunohaso

Hall in Tokyo. In the United States, he has appeared in recital at Lincoln

Center’s Alice Tully Hall and the Kennedy Center, and has participated

in the Caramoor and Gilmore Piano Eestivals. As an orchestral soloist,

he has appeared with numerous American orchestras and the Shanghai

Symphony in China Armstrong has performed chamber music with Itzhak

Perlman, the American String Quartet, the Alexander String Quartet, and

the Manhattan StringQuartet.

The work by Tommaso Vitali that is most familiar to contemporary

audiencesis his Ciaaorn forviolin.Vitali scored it originally forsolo violin with

figured bass. In 1867 Lerdinand David (1810-1873), a German violinist,

pedagogue, and composer, realized the figured bass and published an edition

for piano and violin. A work of enduring vitality, the Ciacorma has taken its 

place as a favorite recital piece for violinists.

Gabriel Laure wrote foursonatas, two for cello and piano and two for violin

and piano,which represent his complete outputforthosegenres.TheSonata

inAMajor, Op. 13,for' ViolinandPiano, was written in the 1870s, when Laure’s

artist friends were experimenting with what later came to be known as

impressionism. Laure’s touches offixed dissonances, medieval modes, and

iridescent effects in this sonata foreshadowed the full-scale use of these

devices byClaude Debussy, music’simpressionist.Theworkwas notinitially

well received by the general public. However, Camille Saint-Saens, assessing 

the sonatasomeyears afterits completion,stated: “Thissonata has everything

to delight a delicate taste.. .and induces the mass of ordinary listeners

to accept the most unlikely strokes of daring as if they were the most

natural thing in the world.”