Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Vinteuil's Sonata

Why is it so difficult to find a recording of Saint-Saens Sonata in D-Minor for Violin and Piano Opus 75? This music inspired the "petite phrase" that became the love song for Swann and Odette. I've been looking for this recording off and on and finally found it in stock (barely) at Amazon. Ordered it, and am looking forward to listening to it over and over in an attempt to make out the peculiar fascination of the music for Proust.

In his biography, Proust, The Early Years, George D. Painter says of Proust, "his imagination was captured by the chief theme of the first movement, a mediocre but haunting melody whose only musical merit is its simplicity and whose fascination comes from its very banality, like that of a popular song. . . " page 214.

The album has a nice cover that might be a French Village where Proust walked and pondered, in fact it looks like Swan's Way. There's a bit of serendipity here, a nice omen.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000174LPC/ref=pd_rvi_gw_2/102-2200492-7261759

Will I be able to recognize the phrase?

Odette

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