OBERLIN STAGE LEFT: Reviving Copland's Neglected Violin Sonata

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Created during the height of World War II, Aaron Copland’s Sonata for Violin and Piano is often forgotten amid the composer’s more celebrated works. Critics at the time weren’t sure what to make of the piece. It was roundly dismissed by some, but revered by others for its quiet power and emotional heft—a position bolstered by Copland’s dedication of the work to a friend shot down over the South Pacific in 1943. Oberlin Stage Left presents a performance from Stull Recital Hall of the sonata featuring violin professor David Bowlin and pianist Tony Cho. Before the performance, hear Mike Telin, a teacher of music journalism at Oberlin and executive editor of ClevelandClassical.com, chat with Bowlin about the work’s enduring resonance.