Product Description
Artaria Editions AE434
Joseph Martin Kraus was one of the most gifted and unusual composers of the 18th century, whose talent for thematic development, colourful orchestration and theatrical flair caused Haydn to proclaim him one of only two 'geniuses' he knew (Mozart being the other one).
Although Kraus's focus as a composer was mainly upon works written for the stage, he had occasion and opportunity to write a variety of works for chamber setting, including four sonatas for violin and fortepiano; a fifth sonata, in D minor, was written in 1777 expressly for violin and "clavicembalo," representing a different sort of piece than the more common duo sonata.
The date of the C major sonata, the earlier of two works in this key, is not known, although it was probably written during Kraus's first years in Stockholm; stylistic evidence strongly suggests that it, and its companion piece, the Sonata in D major (VB 159), date from the later part of that period 1780-1782. Kraus was a proficient performer on both instruments and his sonatas, which display all his usual musical ingenuity and technical finish, are highly attractive works.
Allan Badley
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