Romance in F Major for Violin & Piano Duo

The original sketch of this romance was developed to form the second movement of the Piano Trio in F Major Op. 5. However the trio was reworked as a single movement with three sections. The contemplated second movement of this work was then developed as an independent piece forming the present Romance for violin and piano.

The underlying rhythm (written in 4/4 time) reflects the rhythms of the Trio in terms of triples and 16th notes. The primary melody develops as a dialogue between the violin and piano. The middle section starts with the piano with a Tempo of “agitato con fuoco” reflecting a “strum und drag” motion from the classical era (Haydn). The recapitulation of the melody at the end is punctuated by a series of arpeggios across the strings of the violin as the piano echo’s the primary melody with a secondary counterpoint of the underlying chords.

The piece is dedicated to Sara Johansen, sister of the cellist Dane Johansen. Sara is a master violinist but is currently pursuing a Doctor of Medicine degree at Stanford School of Medicine (2017). The Romance was written from 02 August 2014 through 04 February 2015.