Sonata for Violin and Piano. Op. 134. Unfinished Sonata for Violin and Piano. Sans op.

Sonata for Violin and Piano.

Op. 134

This publication of the Violin Sonata is based on the last edition of the Sonata done during Shostakovich’s life time— Muzyka Publishers, Moscow, 1974 (E-74) and the edition of the Sonata in Volume 38 of Dmitri Shostakovich’s Collected Works—Muzyka Publishers, Moscow, 1982 (E-82). The edition of the hand-written copy of the work—Anglo-Soviet Music Press, 1969 (E-69)—is also taken into consideration. The violin part edited by David Oistrakh and included in various editions (in a separate notebook) is referred to in a number of disputable episodes, and the violin part featured in E-82 was used when working on this publication.

Considering the popularity of both basic editions among performers, all of the essential differences in E-74, E-82 and this edition are stipulated in the comments. Obvious slips of the pen in E-74 and E-82 are corrected without stipulation. Part-writing lines in the P‑no part added by the present editor are not stipulated in the comments. The differences in the notations of E-74 and E-82 in the V‑no part deserve special attention.

Along with articulation and fingering additions, the editing of David Oistrakh’s violin part contains a number of directions that make essential changes to the notation, including with respect to its articulation marks. In E-82, these directions were transferred from the separate violin part to the full notation.

In this edition, the notation of E-74 is restored in most of these cases, whereby each episode of articulation or other differences in the notation of E-74 and E-82 in the V‑no part is stipulated in the comments.

The bar numbers in the comments are always given in accordance with the notation of this edition.

Unfinished Sonata.

Sans. Op.

The 2012 edition (DSCH, Moscow), which, in addition to the printed notation of the Sonata, includes the facsimiles of the rough and fair author’s manuscripts of the composition, was used in the publication of this Unfinished Violin Sonata (the originals of the author’s manuscripts are kept in RSALA, rec. gr. 2048, inv. 1, f. 30).

This publication is based on the notation of the fair author’s manuscript (A), while the printed notation of the above-mentioned edition is referred to in several disputable episodes.

It should be emphasised that the notation in this publication is not an Urtext; it contains a number of editorial additions and corrections. And while insignificant additions, a number of changes in the form of the notation of the music, as well as corrections of obvious slips of the pen in manuscript are not commented on, the more significant differences between the notations of manuscript and this publication, as well as several disputable episodes in manuscript that have not been changed, are stipulated in comments.