César Franck – Violin Sonata in A Major

AVOID BAD EDITIONS OF THIS PIECE. This can’t be stressed enough.  Bad editions can obscure what should be obvious, efficient hand divisions.  Other editions even contain wrong notes.  As usual, the Henle Urtext offers a good value for the price.  The effort needed to learn this composition is a large enough investment in itself, so spend a bit more for a good edition.  It’ll be worth it.  See the “Editions” section below if you’re not convinced!

SOMETIMES THE BEST ADVICE IS TO SIT DOWN AND PRACTICE! Although we can’t offer any miraculous shortcuts, we hope that the following recommendations will at least save a little bit of time.

Movement I – Allegretto ben moderato

• Measures 1-4:  Take the D on the downbeat of measures one and three in your left hand.  This allows so for relaxation and control of the melody in the right hand.  The G# on the downbeats of measures two and four can be taken in the left hand as well.  Again, this frees up the right hand to play the upper voice with maximum delicacy.
• Measures 35-37:  The Gb written as the highest note in the bass clef can be taken in the right hand.
• Measure 38: The C#-D eighth notes on beat two in the bass clef can be taken in the right hand.  This is especially helpful for smaller hands.
• Measure 47: For more certainty, one has the option of using a particular hand divison.  After playing the first two C# sixteenth notes, the next four sixteenths are taken with the right hand.  This is repeated in the second beat of the measure.  The right hand continues playing into the third beat with the left hand only taking the final two sixteenth notes.
• Measure 49:  See measure 47 above.  The same hand division can be used here.
• Measures 100-102:  A fingering that places the fifth finger of the left hand on the E’s (third space of bass clef) is recommended.

Movement II – Allegro

• Measure 5:  An optional division if desired…Observe the position of the left hand as it plays the chord on beat three.  It is actually in place to take the following Bb-A-G-E sixteenth notes.  The right hand can play the final two sixteenths of the measure giving the left hand time to get in position for the next measure.
• Measure 7: To begin the measure, starting on the sixteenth notes in the right hand, a fingering of 1-2-5-3-1 is recommended. As stated in measure five above, after playing beat three, the left hand is already in place to play the C#-C-Bb-G sixteenth notes.  The right hand can then take the final two sixteenth notes of the measure.
• Measure 11: Take the D in beat three with the right hand.  The left hand can sneak up and play the following G# if comfortable.
• Measure 12: The B of beat one and upper C# of beat three can be taken with the right hand.
• Measure 24: The entirety of beat two, except the final D, can be taken with the right hand.
• Measure 28: Take the Bb (beat two) and F (beat four) printed in the bass clef in the right hand.
• Measure 29:  Take the Bb (beat two) and the final Ebb-Db printed in the bass clef in the right hand.
• Measure 37: Land with fingers 5/3 when the right hand hits its peak on beat three.
• Measure 43: Try this hand division starting with the first note of the measure: L-L-R-R-R-R-L leaving the right hand to finish with the final D and sixth.
• Measure 59: Beat three of the right hand marks the beginning of a suggested fingering of 2-4-1.
• Measure 63: Take the D# (beat three) in your right hand.
• Measure 64: Take the D (beat three) in your right hand.
• Measure 93:  Feel free to take the C in your left hand.
• Measure 102: A fingering of (Octave – 5-3-2-1-5-3-2-1) is suggested.  The right hand takes the E at the start of beat four.  The Henle Urtext has the composer’s fingering, which is grouped logically.
• Measure 103: This can be fingered (Octave – 5-4-2-1-5-4-2-1) and the E# and C# on beat four can be taken with the right hand.
• Measure 104: If the final F# of the measure is taken in the right hand, the left hand fingering for the preceding four notes can be 5-3-2-1.
• Measure 106: See measure 104 above.
• Measure 110: Starting on the sixteenth notes in the right hand, a fingering of 1-2-5-3-1 is recommended.
• Measure 117:  As you’ve been doing in similar patterns, make sure the thumb lands on the last sixteenth-note of beat two in the right hand.
• Measure 127:  The D and higher Ab of the bass clef (beats one and two) can be taken with the right hand.  The final Ab in the bass clef can be taken with the right hand as well.
• Measure 128:  The Ab (last half of beat two) and Eb (last half of beat four) can be taken in the right hand.
• Measure 131:  If it helps you, sneak your left hand up to play the lower G-D-G (first three sixteenths of beat two).
• Measure 132:  If it helps you, sneak your left hand up to play the lower G-B-G (first three sixteenths of beat two).
• Measure 133:  If it helps you, sneak your left hand up to play the lower E-Bb-E (first three sixteenths of beat four).
• Measure 134:  If it helps you, sneak your left hand up to play the Bb-F#-A-F# (sixteenth notes of beat four).
• Measure 135:  See measure 134.
• Measure 136: See measure 134, but play the final sixteenth in your right hand.  This gives the left a chance to get in position.
• Measure 137: See measure 136.
• Measures 191-192:  A fingering that places the thumb on the D (beat two) is recommended.
• Measure 194: You might enjoy a hand division that keeps the first two notes of the treble clef in your left hand.  Beat two is played with the right, and the left hand crosses back over for the half note.

Movement III – Recitative – Fantasia: Ben moderato

• Measure 71:  During the following passage, it is recommended to indicate whether the hands are crossing over or under.
• Measure 97: Taking the downbeat in the right hand can provide a brief break.
• Measure 101:  See comment for measure seventy-one.
• Measure 109:  After playing the octave in your left hand, divide the following notes R-R-R, L-L-L-L-L-L, R-R-R

Movement IV – Allegretto poco mosso

• Measure 11:  Those with larger hands should keep the A natural (downbeat) in the left hand.
• Measure 14:  Both quarter note F#’s at the end of this measure can be taken in the right hand.
• Measure 17:  Of the eighth-notes in the bass clef, the first A can be taken with the left hand and the C# with the right.
• Measure 27: Taking the lower of the B’s (second quarter note) with the left hand saves some energy.
• Measure 34:  The left hand has enough time to take the lower C#-E eight-notes.
• Measure 76: Take the B printed in the bass clef on the downbeat in your right hand.
• Measure 90: The G# on the third quarter note can be taken in the right hand.
• Measure 91:  Unless you’re on video, we promise, that no one will notice if you don’t play the lower F# of the eighth note octaves.
• Measures 93-97:  The left hand fifth finger should take every other note starting with the second eighth note of each measure.
• Measure 131: Take the first five eighth notes in your right hand, then use the left hand to play the Eb alone.  The right hand continues on from there.
• Measure 132: Play the bass clef G in your right hand.
• Measures 134-135: After the downbeat, play the following eighth notes with your left hand, and the quarter note triad with your right.  Repeat this procedure once more as you continue.
• Measures 137-138:  See measures 134-135.
• Measure 143: In the following passage, it is recommended that you mark your hand crossings (over or under).
• Measure 181: Take the entirety of beats three and four with the right hand.
• Measure 182: Take the entirety of beat four with the right hand.
• Measure 183: Take the entirety of beats three and four with the right hand.
• Measure 184: Take the entirety of beat four with the right hand.
• Measure 212:  At least the D and F# (fourth and fifth notes in the bass clef) can be taken with the right hand.
• Measures 228-232:  The left hand fifth finger should take every other note starting with the second eighth note of each measure.

If you haven’t read the initial warning within the “Tactile Tips” section, do that.  You must invest in a quality edition of this piece before you begin practicing.  The Henle Urtext is a well-crafted edition for the money.  Although this is not a comprehensive review of every edition of the work, we want to stress that troubles might arise if a weaker edition is purchased.  To do this, we discuss the Kalmus edition below.

A Kalmus Classical Edition – César Franck – Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano

Movement I – Allegretto ben moderato

• Measure 19:  The C on the downbeat is not marked to be taken with the right hand as it is in the Henle Urtext.
• Measure 23:  The D# on the downbeat is not marked to be taken with the right hand as it is in the Henle Urtext.
• Measure 35-36:  On beat three, the Henle Urtext prompts a more efficient hand division by indicating a switch of hands for the Db and F.  The Kalmus edition does not.
• Measure 77:  The D on the downbeat is not marked to be taken with the right hand as it is in the Henle Urtext.
• Measure 81:  The G# on the downbeat is not marked to be taken with the right hand as it is in the Henle Urtext.

Movement II – Allegro

•  Measure 5:  There is ambiguous notation with the penultimate sixteenth-note marked with a natural and a sharp simultaneously.  The natural is to “invalidate the key signature” and the sharp is to reinforce the fact that the note truly is a B#.  The Henle Urtext simply prints a sharp beside the B to prevent any confusion at all.
• Measure 146:  The Kalmus edition forgets a natural sign on the G in the second half of this measure (although this natural sign does appear in the corresponding measure twelve).

Movement IV – Allegretto poco mosso

• Measure 1:  The act of taking the bass-clef C-sharp on the downbeat in your right hand makes the first few notes much more comfortable.  The Henle Urtext suggests this, the Kalmus does not.
• Numerous other hand division suggestions are present in the Henle Urtext.  Much more time is needed in learning with the Kalmus Edition since it requires self-discovery of these items.

The short story of this piece is that César Franck wrote this work in 1886 as a wedding present for Eugène Ysaÿe (this guy was pretty good…Pablo Casals allegedly said that he never heard a violinist play in tune until he heard Ysaÿe.) [1. Page 19 in this book here.]  It’s not surprising that a composer opted to not spend money on the gift and instead chose the free route, all musicians can sympathize with that.  What’s surprising is that one of the most profound violin sonatas in the repertory just so happened to arise as a gift idea for a wedding?  I mean, really… must’ve been a long engagement to provide the time to write something like that.

But some argue that there was a bit more background than this.  In 1861, or even earlier (date your letters please Mr. Franck), Franck wrote to Hans von Bülow (a student of Liszt who wanted to absorb all things Lisztian to such a degree that he  married Liszt’s daughter).  In this letter, he states that he plans to write a violin sonata for Hans’ wife (Liszt’s daughter) Cosima von Bülow [2. Page 98 in this wonderful Franck biography].  Following along this trail, we get to a letter from 1 July 1862 (thank goodness someone actually put the full date on her correspondence) in which Cosima thanks Franck for some songs he sent her in place of said violin sonata.  So where did that sonata go?  Could it be that Franck needed another couple of decades to finish it and then presented it at Mr. Ysaÿe’s wedding?  To further support this theory, we turn to the composer Vincent d’Indy calling the Franck Violin sonata one of the first examples of cyclical use of themes in a sonata form [3. For a bit on this, see page 91 of Debussy’s Late Style.]  Where did Franck learn of this compositional technique in which all movements share common, albeit tranformed, themes?  That would be Franz Liszt, father of Cosima…..thought-provoking….

Back to the wedding….  Talk about a premiere performance!  So it is the morning of 26 September 1886, Eugène Ysaÿe’s wedding morning.  Franck couldn’t make it, so he sent in his place an army officer, Charles Bordes.  “An army officer?” you ask.  Well, his sister-in-law Léontine Bordes-Pène was a pianist, and Franck just so happened to give her some lead time in looking at the score of the violin sonata that Ysaÿe was about to open.  Charles Borde presented it with a good ol’ speech and Ysaÿe gave a good ‘ol speech of appreciation.  Eugène Ysaÿe insisted on sight-reading the work for his guests right then and there! [4. Go to page 257 of the same Franck biography to verify any details and to read English translations of both good ‘ol’ speeches.]

Performance Number Two and the First Public Performance:  Shortly after the wedding, Eugène Ysaÿe and Léontine Bordes-Pène invited some guests to Liège (the capital of the Belgian province of Liège…that’s confusing) and gave the sonata a test-run.  Then, on 16 December 1886, at a Franck Festival in Brussels, Léontine Bordes-Pène faced a concert that could serve as Judgment Day for any collaborative pianist.  She was the soloist for Franck’s Prelude, Chorale et Fugue.  She performed his Piano Quintet.  And then she began the Violin Sonata.  After wrapping up the first movement, dusk had fallen.  Light was scarce.  The musem banned the use of any artificial lighting.  Not to be deterred, the sonata was finished from memory! Follow us for one more paragraph, it’ll be worth it! [5. For verification, just continue on in the same Franck biography right after the discussion in the previous footnote.]

Léontine Bordes-Pène: Accompanist Extraordinaire – After the public debut, and praise from the director of the Brussels Conservatory,  Léontine Bordes-Pène took her show on the road to Paris, playing the work again on Christmas Eve of 1887…she would be about to receive a very special Christmas gift.  The violinist this time was Guillaume Rémy (he had played in the Piano Quintet during the public debut).  The crowd went wild.  The Finale of the sonata was played as an encore.  Afterwards, Franck wrote on Léontine Bordes-Pène’s manuscript: À ma vaillante interprète Madame Bordes-Pène, en souvenir de l’admirable exécution de cette oeuvre au Cercle Artistiques de Bruxelles.  After this, Bordes-Pène could forever say to all other collaborative pianists, “Yeah, I can play the Franck!” [6. Ibid.]

Alternate Versions: Although there are versions of the sonata for flute (like this one edited by James Galway), viola (Felix Schwartz edited this one), alto saxophone (here), the version for cello is the only one that Franck himself approved. [7. Have a look at this website that discusses it a bit.]  There is even mention of it existing as a version for tuba. [8. Page 465 of this music guide.]