Description
The originally planned duo for violin and piano grew into a full sonata by autumn 1885. Saint-Saëns was disillusioned by the initial performances, as the virtuosic demands, especially in the finale, proved too challenging for the violinists. He even told his publisher the violin part could only be played by a "hippogriff" - a mythical creature.
However, the sonata has since shed its initial horrors and is now considered one of the French master's most beloved chamber works, despite (or perhaps because of) its technical difficulties. Our Urtext edition is the first to incorporate all surviving sources for this piece.
