I had told myself to stop thinking about it. It was not a major issue, but it was bothering me. I had been disappointed by an experience which had occurred a few days before the concert.

According to the concert program notes for Ravel's Sonata for Violin and Piano, Ravel wrote '.I wrote a Sonata for violin and piano, two incompatible instruments whose incompatibility is emphasized here.' Ravel's Sonata is also well known for its second movement, 'Blues,' which Ravel also described as 'jazz as seen by a Frenchman.' This music absolutely captivated me. In fact, lately I have been listening over and over to the album 'French Chamber Works,' which includes Ravel's Piano Trio in A Minor performed by Joshua Bell, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Steven Isserlis, and I love the recording. After years of listening to Ravel's Bolero, I had thought I didn't like this composer, but fortunately, I started listening to his other works. The final piece, Ravel's Sonata in G Major for Violin and Piano, really captivated me. Bell and Denk played it quite well, but that piece just doesn't appeal to me. I have never been much of a fan of Schumann's chamber works for violin, and this was no exception. Its moods were intense, loaded with energy, and constantly changing. It was a very strong contrast to the Bach. 3 in C Minor, was a substitute for what was written on the program. The second piece, Grieg's Violin Sonata No. Hearing it, I felt like I could just let go and float along. The musicians made it sound gentle, light, and smooth. 4 in C minor for Violin and Keyboard, BWV 1017. The program featured four very different pieces of music. It is only recently that I've developed a taste for chamber music, and this concert went straight to my heart.

I've heard Bell show off his pyrotechniques and his own cadenzas in violin concertos with symphony orchestras, but this performance of chamber music was very different. I attended a fantastic concert featuring Joshua Bell and Jeremy Denk earlier this month. Pauline Lerner REVIEW: Joshua Bell in concert with pianist Jeremy Denk

Grieg violin sonata 3 program notes