Sonata for Violin and Piano

1952

16 ¾ minutes

December 21, 1958, New York City, Composers’ Showcase Concert, Matthew Raimondi, violin, Yehudi Wyner, piano

Available on demo CD

1. Energico, con fuoco
2. Lento
3. Allegro con spirito

Fine's next composition, Sonata for Violin and Piano, is a further exploration of the energy and drive that are heard in the Concertante and Sinfonia and Fugato. This three-movement work is the first time she had used the term "sonata," and it is more in the spirit of contrast and reuse than the development and process of the traditional form....Fine’s sonata does not exhibit a hierarchy: the violin and piano are equal partners….The Sonata’s tonal freedom, rhythmic flexibility, and jagged contour are a return to Fine’s innate talent expressed in the early works, such as Solo for Oboe.What has changed is her ability to work on a larger scale….

–Heidi Von Gunden, The Music of Vivian Fine, Scarecrow Press, 1999

“[The Sonata for Violin and Piano] had substance, strength, and consistency… [Fine] handles the free chromatic idiom with great skill.”

—Eric Salzman, The New York Times, December 1958

first movement

second movement

third movement