Chamber Works: From the Great War - Sonatas to Soothe the Soul

This program explores two beautifully serene and rarely played sonatas dating from around the time of the Great War. Fritz Bennicke Hart (1874-1949) – Sonata No.2 in D for Violin and Pianoforte (1920) An English conductor and composer, Hart arrived in Australia in 1908 at the invitation of the J.C.Williamson opera and theatrical company to conduct light opera and operetta but later went on to make his mark as a composer and pedagogue. He became leader of the Melbourne Conservatorium in 1912, working with Dame Nellie Melba who had a singing studio there, and in 1928 he became permanent conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. This performance has been prepared from original manuscript copies kindly provided by researcher, Dr Anne-Marie Forbes (University of Tasmania), and with assistance from Julie Simonds. Guy Ropartz (1864-1955) – Sonata No. 2 in E major for violin and piano (1917) Born in Brittany, Ropartz studied at the Paris Conservatoire under Massenet and also under Franck. His long contribution to musical life was made from a base as director of the Conservatoire at Nancy (then a regional branch of Paris Conservatoire) from 1894 to 1919 and for the following 10 years as director of Strasbourg Conservatoire. This sonata is the central one of three written for his close friend, the great violinist Eugène Ysaÿe.