Sonata For Piano (2018)
Instrumentation: Solo Piano
Approx. Running Time: 17:00
The unrecorded Piano Sonata is the effort of about three weeks of work during the summer of 2018. The sonata is traditional in form–it’s three movements are moderate, slow, and fast in tempo. It is untraditional in other aspects. Harmonically, it uses a language I first learnt as a child in the action cues of John Williams’ Jurassic Park soundtrack. Triads over other triads over a dissonant bass note present dissonance and consonance at the same time. I like to think of it as very accessible dissonance–listened to as a whole it is dissonant but you can hear the comfortable tonal elements clearly.
The work requires the pianist to sometimes play a la percussion, a method similar to how a marimbist will constantly re-attack chords to sustain pitch. I also explored using strange time signatures, hopefully in unprovocative, non-jarring ways.
The first movement opens to the dissonant ringing of bells and develops into a fully frenzied chordal barrage.
The slow movement is a true intermezzo, connecting the preceding musical information to the upcoming. Most of the movement contains a soft pulsing octave supporting a melody and accompaniment set in 5. From a persistent melancholy state arrives a small romantic oasis set in the middle of the sonata reminiscent of clustery Chopin or Liszt. You can hear the second movement below in a youtube where it is mocked-up in Midi form.
The final movement is quite Beethoven-esque in nature, utilizing a triplet shaping pattern where the first note of the triplet presents the melody. The tempo choice should be brisk, and the triplets should be fluid – it should be a familiar setting for pianists studying the 32 Sonatas. The middle of the movement goes to a small recitative section similar to Beethoven’s Tempest Sonata, before coming to a stormy conclusion.
In conclusion: I am unsure about this sonata.
Purchasing the Physical Score Grants you a staple bound 12 by 18 score.