The Violin Sonata No 2 in G major, Op 82, subtitled ‘Sonata espagnola’, serves to illustrate how Turina reconciled his northern education and southern roots. For example, in the opening movement we are reminded of the strong tradition of variation form in Spanish music dating back to the sixteenth century. One such variation evokes a zortziko, a quintuple-metre dance from the Basque region. While many of the melodic lines may seem gypsy or specifically Andalusian in character, the harmonies employed do not necessarily derive from Spanish folk music. Rather, they reflect Turina’s admiration of his former Parisian colleagues, who were embellishing triadic harmonies with added pitches and at times abandoning the rules of functional harmony.
from notes by William C Krause © 2012
