The Violin Sonatas given in the original style, by WILLIAM PRIMROSE (with Bass played on the Violoncello) by AMBROSE GAUNTLETT
TO-NIGHT the Third and Fourth Sonatas are to be played.
The THIRD SONATA begins with the usual dignified preludial slow Movement, and goes on to a fugal Movement, with a ' Subject ' that hops downwards, in fine feather.
The beginning of the succeeding Slow Movement is melodically, though not rhythmically, like the opening of the Chorus 'And with His stripes we are healed,' in Messiah, the Composer of which work, by the way, knew Corelli in Rome, at the meetings of a certain 'Academy of the Arcadians,' a Society ' to further the cultivation of the sciences and to awake the taste for humane letters.' Corelli was a member of the Academy, and Handel visited its meetings as a guest.
There are two quick Movements after this slow one, the earlier having a Violin part in constantly running short notes, and the Last Movement being a sportive Jig.
The FOURTH SONATA has its Movements rather differently arranged from those of the Third. The first two, the slow one and the fugal one, correspond in style to the first two in the earlier works, but here a few slow bars only are inserted before the running Third Movement comes, in three-time. The Violin part of this has the alternations of two-to-a-beat and three-to-a-beat that we noticed in a Movement in this style in the Second Sonata, played last night.
A short, slow Movement gives a change of key and mood, and then comes the final quick Movement. This, after its few square-rhythmed opening bars, becomes a Jig, in which the Soloist and Accompanist toss the characteristic rhythm about from one to the other.