Sonata for Violin and Piano in G minor

David Oistrakh in Recital

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Warmth, sincerity, and nobility are words which have been used to describe the artistry of the Soviet Russian violinist, David Oistrakh (1908-1974). My teacher, Oleh Krysa, who was a student of Oistrakh, commented that “In his playing there had never been any pointedness of expression or surgery sentimentalism, there had never been a trace of affectation aimed at winning over the public.” (The Way They Play, Book 14) Instead, Krysa found that …

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Debussy’s Violin Sonata: An Autumnal Farewell

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The Sonata for Violin and Piano in G minor was Claude Debussy’s last completed composition. It was written in 1917 at a time when the composer suffered from terminal cancer. Europe was plunged into the bleakness and devastation of the First World War, bringing food and coal shortages and economic hardship to Paris. Exhausted and watching the prewar world he had known slip away, Debussy wrote to a friend, I only wrote this …

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