Composed at the end of a longer series of works between summer and autumn 1887, the violin sonata numbers among Strauss’ most popular chamber music compositions to this day. In the outer movements, its piano setting and modulations break the intimate mould of chamber music, alluding to the sensational first symphonic poems written at the same time.

Between the first and last movements, both of which are also technically very demanding, the slow middle movement, “Improvisation”, offers a resp...