The Violin Sonata in D major, Op. 9, No. 3, by Jean-Marie Leclair (1697 – 1764), is a sonata for violin and basso continuo published in Paris in 1743 as part of Troisième livre de sonates pour le violon avec la basse continue, Opus 9. The final movement bears the title Tombeau, a musical homage typical of the French Baroque tradition, possibly written in memory of a fellow musician or patron.

Structure

The sonata follows the four-movement model common in Leclair’s violin sonatas:

1. Adagio ma non troppo

2. Allegro

3. Sarabande — Largo

4. Tambourin (Tombeau) — Allegro ma non troppo

Background

Leclair, regarded as the founder of the French violin school, combined Italian virtuosity (in the style of Corelli and Vivaldi) with French elegance. The Op. 9 collection, dedicated to Pierre Crozat, represents one of his mature publications before his final set, Op. 10. The D-major sonata stands out for its expressive contrasts and the elegiac tone of its closing Tombeau movement.

Editions and manuscripts

The work was first printed in Paris by the composer around 1743, with subsequent reprints in Amsterdam. Modern critical editions can be found in the Œuvres complètes de Jean-Marie Leclair and various performing editions (e.g., Bärenreiter, Schott). Scores and parts are publicly available via IMSLP.

Recordings and reception

The Tombeau has appeared frequently in recordings of Baroque violin repertoire, including interpretations by Sigiswald Kuijken, Chiara Banchini, and Monica Huggett. Scholars often highlight it as an early example of the emotional depth later associated with Classical expressive style.