Legende Op. 17 is a show piece by the Polish violin Henryk wieniewski written for solo violin and orchestra accompaniment, though it is often performed using a piano reduction as a substitute for the orchestra. It is estimated to have been written in about 1860, though the exact date is unknown.
Légende is a simple, three-part song for violin, unassuming but well-crafted in its soon-to-be-outdated, cream-puff way. A melancholy rustling in the piano (or orchestra) spurs the violin to produce a lovely, wistful G minor tune. In the middle section (G major), syrupy parallel thirds argue in favor of life's brighter side; but a passionate mini-cadenza leads us back into the opening music, whose reprise the violin caps off by annexing the piano rustling of the opening and transforming it into a sparkling little coda.
Capriccio for 3 Violin
Friedrich Hermann's Capriccio No.1 in d minor for Three Violins, Op. 2 is the first of three which he wrote for this unusual combination. It dates from 1845. It was premiered at a concert at the Leipzig Conservatory where he was teaching and intended to showcase his talented students. Hermann took the part of third violin for the performance. It opens with a short Adagio introduction. The main section, Allegro, opens with a frantic subject which eventually is followed by a more lyrical melody. The two themes alternate with each other eventually leading to a brilliant conclusion.
Handel Sonata No.4
Mystery surrounds the violin sonatas written by the Baroque composer George Frideric Handel (1685-1759). In recent years, musicologists have questioned the origin of some violin sonatas attributed to Handel. Experts from around the world, however, have authenticated Handel’s Sonata in D major HWV 371; his Sonata in D major manuscript dating from around 1750 still survives today. But even this authenticated sonata has been associated with intrigue and uncertainty, as it can also be found in pirated publications and with falsified title pages. The Violin Sonata HWV 371 known as the “Great D major” is considered a masterpiece in the solo violin genre and is one of Handel’s last violin sonatas, never published in his lifetime.