In 1916 Janácek composed an Allegro for violin and piano as a replacement for the Sonata’s Allegretto, which was then the finale but was subsequently reinstated as the third movement. The Allegro remained unpublished until 1988: as can clearly be heard, though it opens quite differently to the Allegretto, it soon arrives at some of that movement’s main material (the gypsy slides and Russian-sounding theme), but develops these elements in a completely different fashion, eventually fading out as if its energy has been used up. It is a delightful movement in its own right, while giving the fascinating impression of a completely different take on one portion of the Sonata.
from notes by Calum MacDonald © 2010
