With regard to instrumental technique, the Sonatina in G major for violin and piano is the easiest of all Martinů's violin works. It may be played wholly in first position, and its rhythmic simplicity facilitates its performance by very young players. Despite these limitations, however, the Sonatina is full of beautiful music that attests to Martinů's compositional maturity by that time. (For the same year gave rise to the opera Julietta, H 253, for example, as well as to the radio cantata A Garland, H 260, the String Quartet No. 4, H 256, and the Duo concertante for two violins and orchestra, H 264) It was the Sonatina's slow movement which, on account of its simple beauty, violinist Petr Rybář selected to play at the composer's funeral ceremony at the Catholic church in the Swiss town of Pratteln in September 1959.
Aleš Březina, Martinů: Works for Violin and Piano 2, © 1999 Supraphon Music a.s