Beethoven’s “Kreutzer” Sonata: Zino Francescatti and Robert Casadesus

Beethoven composed ten sonatas for violin and piano. The giant of the set, in terms of technical demands and dramatic weight, is Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47, the “Kreutzer” Sonata.

The work was dedicated to the French violinist Rodolphe Kreutzer who called it “outrageously unintelligible” and never performed it. Beethoven and the Afro-European violinist George Bridgetower (1778-1860) premiered this convention-shattering music at Vienna’s Augarten Theatre. Beethoven was so late in completing the manuscript that Bridgetower was forced to sightread the performance, at times looking over the composer’s shoulder at the full score. Originally, the manuscript was inscribed with the lighthearted dedication to Bridgetower, “Sonata per un mulattico lunatico.” But, as the story goes, Beethoven later broke off all relations with Bridgetower after the violinist allegedly insulted a woman whom Beethoven admired.

In a previous post we explored Beethoven’s “Kreutzer” Sonata, and I highlighted five recordings. Here is another excellent performance, featuring two 20th century French musicians, violinist Zino Francescatti (1902-1991) and pianist Robert Casadesus (1899-1972). The performance was recorded in Paris in 1970. Francescatti and Casadesus began their longtime collaboration as a duo during World War II.

Although he displayed an impressive technique, Francescatti’s style emphasized elegance and charm over flashiness. In his book, Great Masters of the Violin, Boris Schwarz wrote,

Francescatti represents civilized musical culture at its bst. His playing has no mannerisms, eccentricities, or heaven-storming flights. Everything flows in a seemingly uninhabited yet controlled manner. There is warmth and sentiment without emotionalism, a cultured expressivity that shuns ostentatiousness.

Recordings

• Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 9, Op. 47 “Kreutzer,” Zino Francescatti, Robert Casadesus Amazon