Sonata No. 1 and 2 for violin and piano

Otto Olsson

50 years after his death, Otto Olsson is brought to attention by the Swedish Art Music Society through the publication of two violin sonatas. Olsson, our country's foremost organ composer, and the creator of several masterpieces for choir also composed chamber music (including three string quartets). With these two violin sonatas, composed just before and just after 1900, the Swedish Art Music Society complements the image of this composer.

Who can resist the flowing, seductive melodic lines in the 20-year-old composer's D major sonata? Who is not touched by the gravity of the 22-year-old's D minor sonata, full of Sturm-und-Drang, strong melodic inspiration and the fiery finale? This last sonata was premiered in Berlin in October 1910 and the Polish-American violinist Ida Haendel added it to her repertoire in the 1980s.