Kreutzer Sonata

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Kreutzer Sonata" is the name of several works of art.

• Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata (Violin Sonata No. 9 in A major) was originally inscribed "Sonata mulattica composta per il mulatto Brischdauer", in honour of the Polish-West Indian violinist George Bridgetower (1780 - 1860) who first performed it in 1802 at an 8:00 am concert. (Sunday Times Culture Supplement, 8 July 2007, p.300) However, after the performance, while the two were drinking, Bridgetower insulted the morals of a woman who turned out to be Beethoven's friend. Enraged, Beethoven changed the name of the piece to the Kreutzer Sonata, dedicating it to Rudolphe Kreutzer, considered the finest violinist of the day. However, Kreutzer never performed it, and considered it unplayable.

• In 1889, Leo Tolstoy published a novella entitled The Kreutzer Sonata, using the Beethoven piece as an example of how people can be led astray by their unruly passions.

• The latter story in turn gave rise to Leoš Janáček's first string quartet.

• Two films were based on Tostoy's novella: Kreutzersonate (1937) directed by Veit Harlan and Kreytserova sonata (1987) directed by Mikhail Shvejtser.

• The short story Sonata, by Scottish poet and novelist Jackie Kay, details a love affair between two women who originally met whilst rehearsing for a performance of the Kreutzer Sonata.

• Jacob Gordin - Di Kreytser sonata (The Kreutzer Sonata), adapted from the Tolstoy novel, 1902.

• Mircea Eliade - Sonata Kreutzer

• Margriet De Moor - Kreutzer Sonata, based very loosely on Tolstoy's novella