Violinist Sarah Westwick and pianist Stephen Smith present a thoughtful programme that brings together a rarely heard work and a familiar Romantic cornerstone. Central to the recital is the second sonata by Dora Pejačević, the nineteenth-century Croatian composer, pianist, and violinist whose music is still seldom encountered in concert halls. Richly crafted and emotionally direct, the sonata, names "the Slavic", reveals a distinctive voice from the late Romantic era and offers listeners a chance to encounter a composer beyond the standard repertoire.
The programme begins with Johannes Brahms’s Violin Sonata No 1 in G major, commonly known as the “Rain Sonata.” Drawing on themes from Brahms’s songs Regenlied and Nachklang, the work is known for its lyricism, warmth, and inward character.
The programme also includes the lovely Romance in A major by Amy Beach.
Together, these works create a recital that invites close listening and reflection. By placing Pejačević alongside Brahms and Beach, the programme offers both familiarity and discovery, presented through the collaborative musicianship of two performers deeply engaged with the repertoire.