Sonatas para latín y piano
(Espectáculo "Los clásicos de Les Luthiers" en inglés)

Marcos Mundstock:

We continue our program with fragments of the four sonatas opus 17 for violin and piano, which the Moravian composer Vaclav Cashorcheck wrote for the duo formed by the violinist Rudolf von Lichtenkraut and his wife, the pianist Gundula von von Lichtenkraut, who had settled in Prague, the capital of Czechoslovakia.

The first sonata of the opus 17 is composed with passion, in fact in a real seizure: passion, in the style of romantic composers in general, and seizure, from some of them in particular.

During the first performance of this sonata number one, a real scandal broke out. From the very outset, the audience split in two: while some people whistled and booed, the others stomped-out of the hall.

We begin with a fragment of the sonata number one, opus 17, for violin and piano, by Vaclav Cashorcheck, in its original version, as it was first performed by Rudolf and Gundula von Lichtenkraut.

(Carlos López Puccio y Carlos Núñez Cortés interpretan la primera sonata)

Marcos Mundstock:

The following spring, Cashorcheck travelled to Prague and met the von Lichtenkrauts personally.

For Cashorcheck, seeing Gundula, falling head-over-heels in love, walking all night along the banks of the Moldau, spending two days drunk in a tavern, and a week composing the second sonata of the opus 17, with her in mind, was all a matter of an instant.

On the night of the first performance, the glances which Gundula cast at the box occupied by Cashorcheck seemed to indicate that she did not remain indifferent either.

In this sonata number two, reflecting his feelings towards Gundula, the composer gave more importance to the role of the piano, as the Prague audience was able to verify on the night of the first performance.

(Carlos López Puccio y Carlos Núñez Cortés interpretan la segunda sonata)

Marcos Mundstock:

Gundula, faithful to the respect due her husband, felt she could not surrender to Cashorcheck's amorous advances. Until one afternoon she verified that she could certainly do so.

The meetings between Gundula and Vaclav became ever more frequent and the passionate maelstrom they lived through ... maelstrom? ...Hmm ... the passionate whatever they lived through ... is reflected in the sonata number three the following fall, in the presence of the composer.

The audience on that night was struck by the excessive importance given by Cashorcheck to the violin solos.

(Carlos López Puccio y Carlos Núñez Cortés interpretan la tercera sonata)

Marcos Mundstock:

Rudolf discovered the betrayal and harshly reproached Cashorcheck. He mentioned the word duel and made a reference to his seconds. In the face of Vaclav's passivity, he mentioned the word swine and made a reference to his second, third and fourth generations. Things having reached this point, Cashorcheck reacted and, facing up to von Lichtenkraut, said to him, "C'mon, man, what's the matter?..."

Von Lichtenkraut hurled a glove in his face. Cashorcheck then realized that he could not refuse the challenge. The next day he sent his seconds to arrange a duel with von Lichtenkraut, put his papers in order, wrote Gundula a pathetic letter ... and fled from Prague.

Gundula, disappointed, returned to Rudolf's arms, more in love than ever.

Cashorcheck, filled with resentment towards both of them, composed the sonata number four, the last part of the opus 17, with strange notations in the score, which Gundula and Rudolf von Lichtenkraut, being under contract, were forced to respect.

(Carlos López Puccio y Carlos Núñez Cortés interpretan la cuarta sonata)