Sentimental Work: Alina Ibragimova on Schumann’s Violin Sonata no.2

I’ve been playing Schumann’s three violin sonatas with Cédric Tiberghien for more than a decade now, and the Second Sonata is the one we’ve performed the most together. All three are very different from each other; the First has a dark feeling but is somehow simpler, while the Third reminds me of the Violin Concerto. But I have a more emotional connection with the Second Sonata, in that it feels more personal and carries most of the sense of Schumann’s own struggles. Every note seems to convey so much meaning, and it’s one of the sonatas that tires me out the most when I’m playing!…