Franck Violin Sonata

[MakarovaFan]

I'm looking for a recording of Franck's Violin Sonata. Can anyone recommend a particularly beautiful performance. I'm especially in love with the first movement. Thanks!

[dirac]

Not me, MakarovaFan, but perhaps there's another poster who has a recommendation for you.

[Kathleen O'Connell]

I'm looking for a recording of Franck's Violin Sonata. Can anyone recommend a particularly beautiful performance. I'm especially in love with the first movement. Thanks!

I'm no Franck expert, but I really like Sergey and Lusine Khachatryan's recording of Franck's A major violin sonata, which they've paired with Shostakovich's op 134 violin sonata. I heard them perform the Franck sonata live, and they just blew me away. (They're a brother and sister team. Sergey -- the violinist -- is more generally acclaimed, but Lusine -- the pianist -- plays beautifully, too.)

Label: Naive | Cat # 5122. It's available in both disk and mp3 format.

You're right about that gorgeous first movement! I'm going to play it right now!

[dirac]

Thanks, Kathleen. Any other suggestions?

[MakarovaFan]

I found a recording with Radu Lupu and Kyung Wha Chung. Can I go wrong with this performance? I admire them both.

[papeetepatrick]

I found a recording with Radu Lupu and Kyung Wha Chung. Can I go wrong with this performance? I admire them both.

That one is good, and also has Debussy's Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp, as well as Ravel's Introduction and Allegro. There is also an even more ancient one with Rubinstein and Heifetz. If you like the piece that much, you might as well listen to some others if you're able to get them from a library and have the time.

I played the Franck with violinist James Graseck a good bit in the 70s, but I've never liked it that much except for the last movement, which has a very Gallic sound, almost like a popular tune, or a touch of Faure. On the Lupu/Chung, I admit I much prefer the Debussy Flute, Viola and Harp Sonata, but then that's one of my favourite of all pieces--top 4 or 5. I had an organist friend who was much more enamoured of Franck than I've ever been, but people did usually respond favourably when we performed it. That 'French country' sound of the last movement is a little bit like what you hear, although this a kind of stretch, in the 'Etude pour les Accords' of Debussy, which is the last of the 12 Etudes, and is a very open and extroverted kind of joyful piece. I tend to prefer Faure as well as the others, but you can hear a lot of these other French composers on the various Franck Sonata recordings. There are a good many. Anne-Sophie Mutter/Alexis Weissenberg is bound to be good, too, but I haven't heard it.

[carbro]

Eyes play tricks. I read this topic heading as "Frank Sinatra Violin."

[leonid17]

Here is a favourite violinist of mine playing the sonata.

[leonid17]

I found a recording with Radu Lupu and Kyung Wha Chung. Can I go wrong with this performance? I admire them both.

That one is good, and also has Debussy's Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp, as well as Ravel's Introduction and Allegro. There is also an even more ancient one with Rubinstein and Heifetz. If you like the piece that much, you might as well listen to some others if you're able to get them from a library and have the time.

I played the Franck with violinist James Graseck a good bit in the 70s, but I've never liked it that much except for the last movement, which has a very Gallic sound, almost like a popular tune, or a touch of Faure. On the Lupu/Chung, I admit I much prefer the Debussy Flute, Viola and Harp Sonata, but then that's one of my favourite of all pieces--top 4 or 5. I had an organist friend who was much more enamoured of Franck than I've ever been, but people did usually respond favourably when we performed it. That 'French country' sound of the last movement is a little bit like what you hear, although this a kind of stretch, in the 'Etude pour les Accords' of Debussy, which is the last of the 12 Etudes, and is a very open and extroverted kind of joyful piece. I tend to prefer Faure as well as the others, but you can hear a lot of these other French composers on the various Franck Sonata recordings. There are a good many. Anne-Sophie Mutter/Alexis Weissenberg is bound to be good, too, but I haven't heard it.

The Rubinstein/Heifitz was extraordinary and I am sorry you mentioned it as I was sorely tempted me to go search in a deep dark cupboard for it but then the thought of dusty boxes soon dried up the urge.