Franck Sonata in A Major for violin and piano

[shortfingers]

Hi fellow pianists, my hands are very small (I cannot reach more than an octave) but I absolutely love the Franck Sonata and am determined to play it. My question is to those who have experience playing/teaching/hearing this piece played with small hands: in most cases did you find it best to roll the chords or leave out a note or two?
   Thanks in advance!
   -shortfingers

[richard black]

Roll them. I've heard it done and it doesn't spoil the piece at all, I think.

[ahinton]

Roll them. I've heard it done and it doesn't spoil the piece at all, I think.

Agreed (and I hope that the performance is with violin as originally intended and not with cello which is nice for cellists but ultimately doesn't work - for me, at any rate).

At the risk of departing momentarily from the topic (and if it turns out to be less than momentary, perhaps a new thrased should be initiated for the discussion)...

"Instrumentalists are all wannabe singers. Discuss."

No. They are not. They should be, though!...

Best,

Alistair

[outin]

Agreed (and I hope that the performance is with violin as originally intgended and not with cello which is nice for cellists but ultimately doesn't work - for me, at any rate).

It certainly works for me!

[gvans]

The Franck A minor sonata, no matter how much you love it, is tres formidable. Hopefully you and your violinist (I'm assuming you've got someone to work with) have played some other programs first, perhaps one of the Beethovens or a Brahms, certainly a Mozart. Good luck.

[jy_]

The Franck A minor sonata

sorry for being a prat

[awesom_o]

Agreed (and I hope that the performance is with violin as originally intended and not with cello which is nice for cellists but ultimately doesn't work - for me, at any rate).

At the risk of departing momentarily from the topic (and if it turns out to be less than mpomentary, perhaps a new thrased should be initiated for the discussion)...

"Instrumentalists are all wannabe singers. Discuss."

No. They are not. They should be, though!...

Best,

Alistair

I agree with this excellent post! Instrumentalists should be singers and singers should be instrumentalists. 

To the op: finding ways to roll is always preferable to intentionally leaving things out. Of course, in the moment, it's always better to leave out a note or two than to play an audible wrong note.

Best of luck with the Franck Sinatra! Post a recording if your violinist is any good! 

[gvans]

sorry for being a prat

Oops. Major it is. That's what I get for posting on PS when at work and not at all supposed to be on-line.

I've got the score in a stack somewhere, but my violinist and I parted ways. We read through it once some years ago. I've heard it live on several occasions, and the last movement, fabulous though it is, is more than a little daunting for the pianist.

We performed several Beethovens, the Brahms G Major and D minor, and other pieces, but never got to the Franck. It's a wonderful piece but a serious amount of work. Especially the finale.

For the effort required, I would just as soon master the Ravel Trio, and plan to.

[richard black]

By the way, don't forget that many of the 'large' chords in the last movement can be redistributed between the hands so that neither hand has to span more than an octave.