Echoes of Virtuosity: Bach & Ysaÿe

Details

Sophia Stoyanovich full profile / Solo Violin / 1 musician

Composers featured: Bach, Ysaye

Full program notes

Bach Solo Violin Partita No.2 in D minor
I. Allemande
II. Corrente
III. Sarabanda
IV. Giga
V. Ciaccona

Ysaÿe Solo Violin Solo Sonata D minor 'Ballade', Op. 27, No. 3

Historical context

This program brings together two towering works from the solo violin repertoire, composed nearly 200 years apart yet linked by a deep understanding of the instrument’s expressive and technical potential. Johann Sebastian Bach’s Partita No. 2 in D minor, written around 1720 during his time at the court of Köthen, is a masterpiece of Baroque form and emotional depth. Its final movement, the monumental Chaconne, has long been regarded as one of the most profound works ever written for the violin, possibly composed in memory of Bach’s first wife.

In contrast, Eugène Ysaÿe’s Sonata No. 3 in D minor, “Ballade”, composed in 1923, reflects the modern evolution of the violin’s voice. Written as part of a set of six sonatas, each dedicated to a contemporary violinist, this sonata was inspired by George Enescu. Ysaÿe, himself a virtuoso, channels both Bach’s legacy and a highly personal, 20th-century idiom, creating a dramatic, single-movement work that demands both passion and precision.

Together, these pieces showcase the solo violin’s capacity to transcend time, style, and tradition.