This sonata greatly resembles the style of Johann Sebastian Bach, and includes direct quotations of his music within.
Much like Bach's E major Prelude, the movement consists of virtuosic sixteenth notes throughout, yet Ysaÿe's use of chromatic tonality clearly sets the piece in the genre of early 20th century music.
It specifies the violinist to play with a mute, to dampen the tone and volume, something fairly unusual for a solo sonata.
The Dies irae is not stated within the movement until the final few bars, where it is played uninterrupted on top of a drone.
In the first variation, for example, Ysaÿe instructs the player not to use vibrato, in order to maintain a simple tone.