Violin Sonatina in A, First Movement

This sonatina is based on a piano and violin work written earlier . My purpose was something that I could play both technically (being a denizen of Suzuki Book One land) and solo, there not being a pianist readily available. The middle section has been rewritten completely since the duet version relies on interplay between the piano and violin. The stepwise half notes, rising and falling, are from the opening two notes and the figures in bars 7, 14, and 15. The recap is in A exclusively; no need pedagogically to focus as much on D. The final bars went though a lot of writing-playing-revising. At one point, the penultimate bar was quarter note E5-D5-E5-E4, then E5-B4-E5-E4, then dropped all together because the quarters were too slow. That seemed to end too abruptly, so the measure was added back in but with the eighth note figure from bar 40 extended and ending on A4, which was a bit lame and anti-climactic. The final form works best, perhaps because it mirrors the opening rise from A4 to A5.

Another Violin and Piano Duet

Also for learning purposes. This one is also in ternary structure, starting in D and modulating to A. The thematic material is from Haydn's E-flat quartet opus 20 #1.

A Personal Pedagogical Piece

I’ve taken up the violin again, after an abortive attempt last year. A major is reasonably well known to the fingers, now they need to learn D major. This duet is intended to help that learning process. It is in ABA form with a pedagogical twist; the repeat of A is not in the opening A major but in D.

End of a Duet

This is the remainder of the violin and piano duet started last Tuesday. It has a simple three-part structure that starts in G major, modulates to the dominant, then modulates back.

Click here for audio.

8 Bars of a Duet

This evening’s amusement is limited to the opening phrase of a duet for violin and piano.

A Variant on a Variation

Following my friend’s advice, the piano part has been cleaned up a bit, with a short intro added for good measure.

A Variation

Long ago, before there were computers to distract me, I played the violin. I pulled it out of the closet recently, got it tuned up, bought a copy of Suzuki volume 1, and started playing again. For many weeks, it sounded awful and the neighbors are no doubt thankful I close the windows before putting bow to string.

As a diversion, I wrote this:





It’s a variant on one of the tunes in the Suzuki book, which makes it relatively easy for me to play. I took it to a friend of mine who plays piano, and for the first time in a couple of decades someone else heard me fiddle. She did not clasp hands to ears, but did say the piano writing was a bit clumsy and complicated for such a short and simple tune.