Fundació Studium Aureum: Concert No. 2, The Romantic Sonata

The Romantic Sonata: form, passion, and lyricism

Today's program invites us to discover the evolution of the sonata for violin and piano from the heritage of classicism to the fullness of Romanticism. Through three key works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Edvard Grieg, and Johannes Brahms, we witness the transformation of a genre that, without abandoning formal balance, becomes a privileged space for personal expression, dramatic intensity, and the search for a unique voice.

In the classical sonata, the violin and piano still often maintain a relationship inherited from the sonata with accompaniment tradition: the piano assumes much of the harmonic and thematic structure, while the violin contributes its singing quality. Throughout the 19th century, this hierarchy gradually changes. The two instruments come to share the spotlight, to dialogue, to confront, and to complement each other in a common musical construction. The piano ceases to be a mere support and becomes a full-fledged interlocutor, with a writing style demanding great technical and expressive skill.