FRANCK Sonata for Piano and Flute. Sonata per flauto e pianoforte. Urtext, Barenreiter Verlag

César Franck’s Sonata for Piano and Violin is one of the most highly esteemed works in the violin literature, a masterpiece of cyclical form – with its grace and expressiveness it is virtually paradigmatic for the epoch of musical romanticism. The sonata was composed in 1886 and is dedicated to the Belgian violinist and composer Eugène Ysaÿe.

After Franck’s death the publisher of the sonata’s original edition, Julien Hamelle of Paris, supplied not only an additional version for piano and cello authorized by the composer (BA 10917), but other arrangements, including a version for flute prepared by Hamelle’s in-house arranger Franz Linden (ca. 1910).

This Urtext edition for flute and piano is based on Linden’s arrangement, a copy of which was only recently unearthed by the editor, and on the sources of the original Violin Sonata, especially for the piano part. Linden’s version largely adopts the original violin part, with particular violin techniques rendered playable on the flute by means of alternative notes. In this way the sonata’s characteristic qualities, including the highly cantabile solo part, sound perfectly natural on the flute, lending this version its special appeal.

An informative introduction by Gudula Schütz (Ger/Fr/Eng) on the genesis and reception history of the sonata as well as a Critical Commentary (Eng) round off the edition.