Violin Sonata No. 4 (Hill)

Last updated

Violin Sonata No. 4 in C minor "Maori Sonata", Stiles 1.2.1.6 So4, [1] is a sonata for violin and piano by Alfred Hill composed ca.1909. It was premiered on 6 April 1910 by Cyril Monk and Laurence Godfrey Smith in the YMCA Hall, Sydney. [2] [3] Its approximate duration is 18 minutes.

Contents

History

The "Maori" Sonata is part of a series of Hill's works dealing with Māori material, all originating from his New Zealand years (1892–1896 and 1902–1910). Other notable works of this group are cantata Hinemoa, opera Tapu, his most popular song Waiata Poi and two String Quartets (No. 1 and No. 2). All the three movements of the sonata are based on the Māori tunes Hill collected in the previous years. The precise circumstances of its creation remain unknown. [3] The manuscript score is in the National Library of Australia. [4]

The Sonata was later (ca.1915) transcribed by Hill (as was his habit) into an orchestral work Maori Rhapsody. Nothing is known about the origins and performance circumstances of it. The sonata was also arranged by Michael Vidulich as a viola concerto [3] (not to be confused with Hill's original Viola Concerto).

Structure

The Sonata is in three movements.

I. Death Defiance (Waiata Maori) [5]
II. Tangi (Lament)
III. Waiata Poi

Editions

Recordings

RNZ Concert recorded a performance of the sonata by Ronald Woodcock (violin) and Colleen Rae-Gerrard (piano). [6]

Donald Maurice and the Massey Chamber Orchestra recorded the arrangement by Michael Vidulich of the sonata as a viola concerto for Hill Records. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferdinand Ries</span> German composer

Ferdinand Ries was a German composer. Ries was a friend, pupil and secretary of Ludwig van Beethoven. He composed eight symphonies, a violin concerto, nine piano concertos, three operas, and numerous other works, including 26 string quartets. In 1838 he published a collection of reminiscences of his teacher Beethoven, co-written with Franz Wegeler. The symphonies, some chamber works—most of them with piano—his violin concerto and his piano concertos have been recorded, exhibiting a style which, given his connection to Beethoven, lies between the Classical and early Romantic styles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfred Hill (composer)</span> Australian composer and conductor

Alfred Francis Hill CMG OBE was an Australian-New Zealand composer, conductor and teacher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Blackwood McEwen</span> Scottish classical composer

Sir John Blackwood McEwen was a Scottish classical composer and educator. He was professor of harmony and composition at the Royal Academy of Music, London, from 1898 to 1924, and principal from 1924 to 1936. He was a prolific composer, but made few efforts to bring his music to the notice of the general public.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Sammons</span>

Albert Edward Sammons CBE was an English violinist, composer and later violin teacher. Almost self-taught on the violin, he had a wide repertoire as both chamber musician and soloist, although his reputation rests mainly on his association with British composers, especially Elgar. He made a number of recordings over 40 years, many of which have been re-issued on CD.

String Quartet No. 1 in B-flat major "Maori Quartet", Stiles 1.2.3.3 SQ1 is the first of Alfred Hill's seventeen string quartets. Its composition began before 1892, it was completed after 1896 and premiered only on 18 May 1911 in Sydney.

Alfred Hill composed his String Quartet No. 3 in A minor "The Carnival", Stiles 1.2.3.3 SQ3, in 1912, while he was a member of the Austral String Quartet. The manuscript score is preserved in the National Library of Australia. In 1955, Hill transformed the quartet into his Symphony No. 5. The quartet is composed in four movements with an average duration of 20 minutes.

String Quartet No. 2 in G minor "A Maori Legend in Four Scenes", Stiles 1.2.3.3 SQ2, often called "Maori Quartet", was composed by Alfred Hill in 1907–1911 and premiered immediately in 1911. It is dedicated to Earnest [sic] Wunderlich — "in slight appreciation". The first two quartets were published together by Breitkopf & Härtel in 1913. Each of them used to be referred as Maori, a feature that can lead to confusion. Today the first one is called Maori, while for the second the longer subtitle is retained.

Symphony No. 1 in B-flat major, Stiles 1.3.4.1 Sy1, the so-called Maori Symphony, is the first symphony by Alfred Hill. Its first three movements were completed by 1898, but the last movement remained unfinished. This may have been the second symphony composed in the Antipodes. The first two movements of this symphony are the only symphonic movements by Hill not to be arranged from his earlier chamber music. The Finale was reconstructed by Allan Stiles, and the whole symphony got its first performance in 2007. The approximate duration is 40 minutes.

Violin Sonata No. 2 in A minor, Stiles 1.2.1.6 So2, is a sonata for violin and piano by Alfred Hill completed at the beginning of 1906. Its manuscript is at the National Library of Australia. It bears inscription: Island Bay Wellington N.Z. 10th January 1906. The sonata is dedicated to an Australian violinist Cyril Monk, Hill's pupil in theory and composition. Its approximate duration is 16 minutes.

Trio for violin, cello and piano in A minor, Stiles 1.2.2.1 TrA, is one of Alfred Hill's five compositions for such ensemble. It was written probably in 1890s and reconstructed by Allan Stiles in early 2000s. Its approximate duration is 20 minutes.

Violin Sonata No. 3 in A minor, Stiles 1.2.1.6 So3, is a sonata for violin and piano by Alfred Hill. Its music originates from his Piano Trio in A minor, Stiles 1.2.2.1 TrA. It has no precise dating, but was obviously finished after Violin Sonata No. 2 : most probably in 1907. It was performed on 6 July 1908 at the YMCA Hall in Sydney by Cyril Monk and Constance Brandon Usher. Hill later arranged this sonata for flute and piano.

String Quartet No. 4 in C minor, Stiles 1.2.3.3 SQ4, was completed by Alfred Hill on 25 July 1916 in Neutral Bay, Sydney. It is dedicated to Henri Verbrugghen and his Verbrugghen String Quartet. It is Hill's first non-program string quartet. The first two movements were transcribed for orchestra in 1955 forming the basis of the Symphony No. 4 "The Pursuit of Happiness" in which this music turns to have a program.

Austral String Quartet was a string quartet ensemble based in Sydney active from 1910 to 1916.

String Quartet No. 5 in E-flat major "The Allies", Stiles 1.2.3.3 SQ5, was completed by Alfred Hill on 24 June 1920 in Sydney. It is dedicated to Henri Verbrugghen, whose quartet gave the first public performance of the composition on 2 March 1921. The music of the quartet presents four nations who were allies during World War I. It was subsequently arranged by Hill for string orchestra as his Symphony No. 11 "The Four Nations". The approximate duration of the quartet is 29–33 minutes, which makes it one of the most substantial quartets composed by Hill.

Symphony No. 11 in E-flat major "The Four Nations" for string orchestra, Stiles 1.3.3.1 SyFN, was arranged by Australian composer Alfred Hill from his String Quartet No. 5 "The Allies" at some point in 1950s, but the precise date remains unknown, and there is no information about the first performance. The music of the symphony follows that of the original String Quartet, except for the Finale being 4 bars shorter than in the quartet, due to a minor truncation of the melody of the main subject at each repeat of it. The most obvious difference is the addition of the double bass part. Hill also altered the title of the composition.

String Quartet No. 6 in G major "The Kids", Stiles 1.2.3.3 SQ6, by Alfred Hill bears dedication: "for the young fry at the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music". It was most likely written for the student string quartet groups at the Conservatorium mentored by the composer. The manuscript is dated 3 September 1927. Its technical demands being limited, it is an accessible for amateurs composition. The quartet is set in earlier style, reminiscent of Haydn, Schubert, and other classical composers. With approximate duration of only 15–16 minutes, this is the shortest of all Hill's quartets.

String Quartet No. 7 in A major, Stiles 1.2.3.3 SQ7, by Australian composer Alfred Hill was commenced in Melbourne and finished in Sydney on 18 November 1934, as stated in the manuscript score preserved in the National Library of Australia. It is thought to be the last of Hill's middle period quartets, with some impressionistic features being transitional to his later compositions. Approximate duration is 20,5 minutes.

String Quartet No. 8 in A major, Stiles 1.2.3.3 SQ8, by Australian composer Alfred Hill was finished half month after his Seventh: the manuscript score and parts, which are preserved in the National Library of Australia, are dated 6 December 1934. While the previous quartet was a somewhat transitive composition from his middle period, with the Eighths one starts counting Hill's late quartets. It is thematically unified and has many impressionistic features. In 1950s Hill arranged it into a string symphony, the first known performance of which was on 27 March 1957. The approximate duration of the quartet is 25–28 minutes.

References

  1. ↑ Allan Stiles. A Catalogue of the Music of Alfred Hill
  2. ↑ Allan Stiles. Notes to Hill's Flute Sonata No.2. Cited from National Library of Australia. Lam cites this as the completion date, but it can be only terminus ante quem.
  3. 1 2 3 Lam, Y. C. (2006, June). Analytical study of Alfred Hill’s String Quartet no. 2 in G minor (Thesis, Master of Arts). University of Otago
  4. ↑ Hill, Alfred; Australian Broadcasting commission; Symphony Australia (1932). ""Maori" sonata No 4 for violin and pianoforte [music] / Alfred Hill". Alfred Hill Collection of Music Scores and Parts– via National Library of Australia.
  5. ↑ Death Defiance according to Stiles's catalogue; Waiata Maori according to Lam's thesis.
  6. ↑ "Catalogue entry in the National Library of New Zealand". January 1986.
  7. ↑ "SOUNZ Viola Concerto 1910".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.