Continuity and Change in Eugène Ysaÿe’s Six Sonatas, Op. 27, for Solo Violin

Abstract

The Six Sonatas, Op. 27, for Solo Violin by the Belgian violinist and composer Eugene Ysaye (1858-1931), written in 1923/24, are increasingly adopted into the standard repertoire of violinists. Ysaye saw them as containing his legacy to future generations of violinists and composers and also as a statement of his aesthetic identity. However, not much research has been done on the aesthetics reflected in them. Yet, a greater awareness of Ysaye’s aesthetics will add to the understanding of this important historical figure who did so much to popularise French and Belgian music of the turn of the twentieth century and very much identified with the circle of composers around Cesar Franck. This thesis focusses on Ysaye’s relationship with music history as represented in Op. 27. It explores his aesthetics, in particular his attitude to the past, present and future as well as his insistence on the continuity of history. Part I examines Ysaye’s historical and biographical context as well as his aesthetic predilections. It particularly focuses on composers to whom he was close, notably the Franckists, as well as on the violin tradition of which he was part, with an emphasis on Henri Vieuxtemps. As each Sonata is dedicated to a violinist of the generation after Ysaye, their personalities and playing styles are also discussed. Part II turns to the Sonatas themselves and explores ways in which Ysaye engages with past and contemporaneous composers, notably J. S. Bach, Cesar Franck and Claude Debussy, as well as with the violin tradition and the possible influence of the dedicatees on their Sonata. It also demonstrates Ysaye’s contribution to music history, especially to the development of the technical and expressive possibilities of his instrument.