Gina McCormack, Violin & Nigel Clayton, Piano Celebrate the 200th Anniversary of Franck's Birth

Melrose Music Society

Gina and Nigel, who last played for us in 2018, return with a melodic, emotionally intense programme featuring three magnificent sonatas. Written in 1886 as a wedding present for violinist Eugène Ysaÿe, César Franck’s was an instant success and remains one of the most frequently performed violin sonatas. In contrast, Mendelssohn’s Sonata in F, composed in 1838, was not published until 1953, the composer having unaccountably dismissed it as “wretched”. Howard Ferguson’s Second Sonata, from 1947, reflects the turbulent aftermath of WWII, imitating desolate tolling bells before the optimism of its finale.

Felix Mendelssohn:Violin Sonata in F
Gerald Finzi: Elegy
Howard Ferguson: Violin Sonata no. 2
Amy Beach: Romance
César Franck: Violin Sonata in A