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Frank Violin Sonata in A major

Drew Cranfill
!

The progression of music during the 19th century was invigorated by a wealth

ardor and individuality exuded by those who shaped it. Such intense emotion was
complimented by an embracing of cultural heritage, leading to distinctly Russian,
Bohemian, Scandinavian, French, and German styles. In hindsight, our modern
descriptions of Romantic music tend to pigeonhole it as a embracing of passion over the
perceived restraints of intellect. Passionate music was part of the Romantic era, but the
implication that composers were creating music from a scheme that rejected intellectual
discipline is a farce.!Those composers who epitomized the innovations in musical form,
harmony, and expression are as capable of higher thought as Bach, Mozart, and
Beethoven. Of course Beethoven himself is considered the pioneer of Romanticism in
music, but to presume his music lacks intelligence would not dare be uttered and it is
those composers who continued the quest for innovation without compromising artistry
who are deserving of our discernment and reverence.
!

Included in the cohort of innovative 19th century composers, was the Belgian-

born French composer Csar Franck. Wright Roberts describes Francks music in an
article published in a 1922 issue of Music and Letters: Strength of another kind, too,
Franck often commands; the intellectual strength which is struck from the brain in the
triumphant tackling of formal problem.1 Francks inventive handling of musical form was
likely engendered by his affinity for the music of Liszt, Wagner, and Bach.
The first movement of his Francks Violin Sonata in A major begins with a simple
rising motive that becomes the source of the principle theme and the motive that

W. Wright Roberts, Csar Franck, Music and Letters 3 (1922), 321.

Frank Violin Sonata in A major

provides much of the organicism within the movement (Appendix A). In these beginning
measures the piano repeats the motive with sustained chordal support. During this four
measure introductory phrase, the piano remains harmonically static while voicing a
dominant ninth chord. Such prolongation is kept in motion by the germ motive which
begins as third in the first measure, but gains a single degree of distance in each
subsequent measure until it reaches its apex of a sixth at measure four. Having note yet
sounded an A or moved from the EMm9 chord, there is little to confirm the pieces tonic
as A.
Ex. 1, Motivic Germ Introduced by Solo Piano

When the violin appears, (m. 5) it is as if the previous four measures were searching for
the appropriate starting point through a process of elimination. Once the D is settled
upon the violin flows through arpeggiation with ease.
Ex. 2, Principle Theme Introduced by Violin

Frank Violin Sonata in A major

For the remainder of the principle section, the piano supports the violin with rich block
chords that move with the lyricism of a line. The prolongation of the dominant ninth
harmony is not resolved until measure eight, but there is little to imply a conclusive
cadence in the rhythm. However, a noticeable change in the violins rhythm combined
with new chromatic notes, begins a transition that eventually settles on the dominant.
The transition section is quite extensive in relation to the principle. It implies a
move to E: in measure fifteen, but it is not until measure thirty-one that an authentic
cadence confirms it. Before the cadence in E: (m.31) rampant chromaticism
emphasizes its respective dominant (B:) and submediant (C#:). When the cadence at
measure thirty-one is reached the violin part is removed as the piano plays the
secondary theme solo.
The difference in character and dominant tonality confirm the bi-thematicism of
the movement in spite of the pervasive use of the principles motivic material in the
transition and closing sections. Franks use of colorful chromaticism, prolonged
harmony, and contiguous phrases is not a common feature of earlier German/Austrian

Frank Violin Sonata in A major

compositions, yet despite such components there is a clear sonata form structure at
work. Aside from textural changes in the recapitulation (mm. 63-117), there is little to
distinguish it from the exposition. The secondary key area is reconciled and the piece
concludes with the closing section from the exposition (mm. 51-62). All the necessary
elements are present except one.
Following the exposition's close at measure sixty-two, it is expected that a
development section will follow, but measure sixty-three is a reprise of the principle
section in the tonic (A:). The absence of a development is often considered to be
sonatina form or in the case of Hepokowski and Darcy a type-1 sonata form.2 Even in
the absence of a proper development section, the sonatas treatment of the principle
theme gives the piece a sense of having been developed. The markedly static harmony
of the principle section is replaced by a gradual increase in harmonic motion.

Section - Key
Principle Theme - A:

Ex. 3, Harmonic Motion of Exposition

Measure Phrases
Harmonic Motion
1-8
(a + a)
EE/A

Transition - A: ~ E:

9-16
16-30

(b + b)
(c + c)
(a + a)

GB/b
B/bC/c
FB/E

Secondary Theme - E:

31-38

(e + e)

B/D/B/FF/D/e/F

39-47

(e + e)

A/E/Bf/c

47-62

(a + a + a + a) cCE

Closing - E:

Another developmental device exercised throughout the exposition is motivic and

phrase sequencing. Frank conceives amazingly cohesive sequences that convey the

2 Hepokoski, James and Warren Darcy. Elements of Sonata Theory: Norms, Types and
!
Deformations in the Late Eighteenth Century Sonata. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press,
2006.

Frank Violin Sonata in A major

tonal center while the foreground obscures it. Richard Basss reduction shows the
underlying sequence subtly implies an A major triad as the harmonic path of the
modulation.

Ex. 4, Reduction of Transition Section3

The chart reveals the importance of the augmented sixth chord to the formal structure of
the piece. As the movement develops the augmented sixth resolves in a less
conventional manner, as seen in measure 58 with a common-tone augmented sixth. In
using the sequential principle described by Basss chart, the sonata is able to provide a
cohesive formal structure in the presence of such unconventional chromaticism.
The degree to which the pieces motivic cell returns is a primary device of its
overall cyclical. The piece consists of four movements in which the principle theme
3 Richard Bass, Example 8. Franck, ViolinSonata (I), mm.916(reduction), from his article
!
Enharmonic Position Finding and the Resolution of Seventh Chords in Chromatic Music, Music Theory
Spectrum 29 (2007), 91.

Frank Violin Sonata in A major

returns in a modified form. Its appearance in the second movement especially different
from the original, but the final movement presents it in the simplest form of all. There is
a extended process of reconciliation in the way the themes are transformed from one
movement to the next. Franks use of cyclical reprise of theme is a form of organicism
that marks a evolution in the sonata form concept.

Frank Violin Sonata in A major

Appendix A
Cesar Franck, Violin Sonata in A major, Allegretto ben moderto

III. Principle Section (mm. 1-16)

A. Piano Introduction (mm. 1-4)
1.

Presents motive z

2.

Outlines Dominant Harmony

B. Principle Theme (mm. 5-16)

1.

Presents motive y and appropriates motive z

2.

The cycle is derived from these two motives

IV. Transition (mm. 16-30)

A. Initial Phrases (mm. 16-25)
1.

Phrase-1 (mm. 16-20)

2.

Phrase-2 (mm. 21-24)

3.

These initial phrases are parallel (containing the same material) with phrase
two being transposed a minor 3rd up.

B. Subsequent Phrase (mm. 25-30)

1.

V.

This phrase is a reiteration of the principle themes opening transposed a major

2nd up.

Secondary Section (mm. 31-46

A. Secondary Theme (mm. 31-46)
1.

Solo piano

2.

Presents new motive x

VI. Closing Section (mm. 47-50)

A. Closing Theme (mm. 47-50)

1. Played in cannon between the piano and violin

Frank Violin Sonata in A major

VII. Development Section (mm. 51-62)

A. Material
1. Motive y is played by violin (mm. 51-59)
2. Motive z is present in piano (mm. 51-59)
3. Motive y is continued by piano (mm. 60-62)

VIII.Principle Recapitulation (mm. 63-74)

A. Initial Phrases (mm. 63-65)
B. Susequent Phrase (mm. 66-74)

IX. Transition Recapitulation (mm. 75-82)

A. Initial Phrases (mm. 75-82)
1. Transposed a major 2nd up from exposition

B. Subsequent Phrase
1. Transposed a minor 3rd up from exposition

X. Secondary Recapitulation (mm. 89-107)

A. Secondary Theme
1. violin plays motive x (m. 99)

XI. Closing Recapitulation (mm. 108-117)

A. Closing Theme (mm.108-112)
1. violin material from development

B. Codetta (mm. 112-117

1. piano plays motive y

Frank Violin Sonata in A major

Bibliography
Bass, Richard. Enharmonic Position Finding and the Resolution of Seventh Chords in
Chromatic Music. Music Theory Spectrum 29 (2007), 73-100.
Hepokoski, James and Warren Darcy. Elements of Sonata Theory: Norms, Types and
Deformations in the Late Eighteenth Century Sonata. (New York: Oxford
University), 2006.
Roberts, Wright W. Cesar Frank. Music & Letters 3, no. 4 (1922): 317-328.