Violin fantasies

Franz Schubert was inspired to write his most virtuoso violin works by an exor­bi­tant violinist. In 1826/27, he wrote the great C major Fantasy for the “Bohemian Paganini” Josef Slawik. The intro­duc­tory Andante molto creates an unmis­tak­able aura. It is an elegy of pure sound. The oscil­lating sound surface of the piano and the endlessly long, metri­cally almost inde­fin­able melodic arcs of the violin represent an aspect of the concept of fantasy that Robert Schumann would later take up and underpin theo­ret­i­cally: the idea of a “higher poetic punc­tu­a­tion” that overcomes the “tyranny of the beat”. In this fantasy, three different aspects of the concept of fantasy inter­pen­e­trate — strict form, free diction and bril­liance.

In his three pieces Opus 73 — which he orig­i­nally composed for the clarinet — Robert Schumann describes “fantasy images”, whereby the melan­choly of late Schumann prevails almost throughout.

Karol Szymanowski’s Myths, on the other hand, is remi­nis­cent of Greek mythology and intro­duces the famous quarter tones in the third movement — the work is consid­ered an important milestone in 20th century violin writing.

Heinz Holliger also draws on the Romantic tradition in his “Lieder ohne Worte I”, but develops a much more modern tonal language in the interplay between the lyrical calm and expres­sive tension of the two instru­ments. His four songs seem like intimate musical minia­tures.