Bach’s manuscript of the Solo Violin Sonatas and Partitas dates from 1720, during his time as Kapellmeister in Köthen, though their inception probably goes back to 1703, during his time in Weimar.
Ravel’s Violin Sonata No. 2 was a long time in the making, with the first ideas put down as early as 1922 and the premiere in 1927—all for about 17 minutes of music. He struggled with depression as his musical output slowed to a trickle.
Beethoven’s second cello sonata has an unusual form: its first two movements are combined, beginning with an Adagio and then transitioning into a more typical Allegro.
Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 7 was written at the height of World War II and premiered just as the Russian Army came within reach of victory at Stalingrad.
This is the first and less famous of Ravel’s two violin sonatas, published long after his death, in 1975.
Ravel’s Sonata for Violin and Cello is a tour-de-force, its thin instrumentation jacked up with blazing string crossings, piercing harmonics, and snapping pizzicatos.