Concerned that his second violin sonata might be too difficult

to play, Schumann wrote to the renowned Hungarian violinist,

Joseph Joachim (1831-1907):“You were often in my mind asI

wrote it, and that encouraged me; tell me of anything in it you

consider too difficult to play, forI have often given you unpalat­

able dishes, or at any rate mouthfuls. Strike out anything

unplayable.” Ofcourse, Joachim found no such difficulties. The

influence ofBeethoven’s Kreutzersonata is evident particularly in

the introduction to the first movement, marked Ziemlich langsam

(rather slow), which proceeds toa fastersection, marked Lebhaft.

The second movement, Sehrlebhaft (very lively), gives the domi­

nant role to the pianist. The third, Leise, einfach (quiet and simple),

is presented in four variations, with the piano again providing the

variety. The variations are based on the chorale, Gelobetseist du,

Jesu Christ (Be Thou Praised, Jesus Christ). The fourth move­

ment, Bewegt (moving), is breathless and passionate, as ifin con­

flict. Only at the very end, witha return to the original key ofD

Major, does it finally change mood and bring the sonata toa tri­

umphant conclusion.

-Program Notes by Elmer Booze

Concerts at The National Gallery ofArt

Under the Direction of George Manos

April 1998 5 National Gallery Orchestra

George Manos, conductor

Jason Stearns, baritone

Chabrier:

Debussy:

Saint-Saens:

Suitepastorale

Trois ballades

de Francois

Villon

Symphony No.2

12 No Concert

19 Stefan Wz&w, pianist J. S. Bach: Goldberg

Variations

The use ofcameras orrecording equipment

during theperformance is not allowed.

Forthe convenience ofconcertgoers

the Garden Cafe remains open until 6:30pm.

The Fifty-sixth Season of

THE WILLIAM NELSON CROMWELL and

F. LAMMOT BELIN CONCERTS

National Gallery of Art

2265th Concert

JEFFREY MULTER, violinist

JAMES TOCCO, pianist

Sunday Evening, March 29, 1998

at SevenO’Clock

West Building, West Garden Court

Admission Free

LI
PROGRAM

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Sonata in E-Flat Major, K. 481

(1756-1791) (1785)

Molto allegro

Adagio

Allegretto (Theme and Variations)

John Corigliano

(b. 1938)

Allegro

Andantino

Lento

Allegro

Sonata for Violin and Piano

(1963)

INTERMISSION

Robert Schumann Sonata No. 2 in D Minor, Opus 121

(1810-1856) (1851)

Ziemlich langsam; lebhaft

Sehr lebhaft

Leise, einfach

Bewegt

JEFFREY MULTER began his violin studies at age five in upstate New York. At age sixteen he moved to New York City to

continue his studies at the Juilliard School ofMusic, where he was 

the recipient of a Lincoln Center Fellowship. He has appeared as

recitalist and chamber music collaborator in concert halls throughout the United States, Europe, and South America, including Lincoln Center in New York, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, and the

National Gallery. He has held appointments as concertmaster with

the Breckenridge Music Institute in Colorado and theWashington

Concert Opera. Mr. Multer is a member of the Theater Chamber

Players of Washington and is first violinist of the Oxford String

Quartet, which is in residence at Miami University ofOhio. He also

serves as concertmaster for the Echtemach Festival in Luxembourg

and the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, North Carolina.

JAMES TOCCO gained international distinction by attaining first 

prize in the 1973 Munich Competition. His recital tours have taken

him to prime concert venues in Europe, the United States, Canada,

SouthAmerica, Russia,Japan, Australia, and the Middle East. Vienna, 

Salzburg, Lockenhaus (Netherlands), and Dubrovnik are only a few 

of the many European festivals in which he has been invited to participate. In the United States, Mr. Tocco has performed in the

Meadow Brook, Spoleto-USA, Mostly Mozart, and Wolf Trap Summer Festivals. His recital in the Gallery’s Forty-eighthAmerican Music

Festival (April 14,1991) was hailed by Washington Post music critic

Joseph McLellan as a highlight ofthe city’s musical season. An exponent ofcontemporaryAmerican piano music, Mr. Tocco has recorded

the complete works of Charles Tomlinson Griffes and Leonard

Bernstein, the four piano sonatas of Edward MacDowell, and music

ofAaron Copland under Pro Arte and Gasparo labels.

Mozart composed three violin and piano sonatas between 1784 

and 1787. The Sonata in E-flatMajor, K 481 is one of these, and is

considered to be among the finest ofhis violin sonatas, as evidenced

by its melodic interest, balance, and maturity. The first movement,

Molto allegro, following the traditional sonata form, is brief and

rounded. The Adagio features some almost Schubertian modulation and is one of Mozart’s most lyrical movements of this type.

The Allegretto consists of a theme and six variations. The theme

resembles a simple folk song and is stated in unison by both instruments. Variety is introduced by the increasing complexity of the

piano part in each succeeding variation.

Regarding his Sonatafor Violin and Piano (1963), John Corigliano

states: “The Sonata, written during 1962 and 1963, is for the most

part a tonal work, although it incorporates non-tonal and polytonal

sections as well as other twentieth-century harmonic, rhythmic, and

[formal] techniques.... Rhythmically, the work is extremely varied.

Meters change in almost every measure, and independent rhythmic patterns in each instrument are common. The Violin Sonata

was originally entitled Duo, and therefore obviously treats both instruments as [equal] partners. Virtuosity is of great importance in

adding color and energy to the work, which is basically an optimistic statement, but the virtuosity is always motivated by musical

means....”