Sonate pour violon seul

This Sonata for Solo Violin was born from a very spontaneous impulse in July 2022, when its three movements emerged simultaneously. Free from any extramusical constraints, the work explores the psychological conflict between an outwardly expressed vital energy and the vicissitudes of a hidden world. This tension shapes the dialectic of sonata form and the fast-slow-fast alternation of movements, as well as the musical material and the technical challenges posed to the solo violin.

The first movement opens with a spirit of conquest, driven by rhythmic cadences. This opening unleashes itself in folkloric imagery, until the second, more fluid theme relaxes the initial motif. The development leads to an explosion that precipitates a shortened and less serene recapitulation, unleashing a fiery coda.

The second movement, an aria, unfolds its gentle melancholy and explores the shadowy areas of the preceding second theme. Its linear discourse, however, masks very fluctuating states of mind: nostalgia and despondency mingle with tenderness and wonder.

The finale offers a moment as exhilarating for the performer as for the audience. Born from the popular energy of the first movement, this wild jig amplifies its forces. Amidst the jostling, a spirited peasant dance gradually emerges between gasps, until it triumphs.