Sonata

Several years ago, being a pianist, I felt that it was time to create a large-scale work for the piano; Piano Sonata No. 1 (2002) was the result. While this one-movement statement is not typical of traditional sonatas of the past, I thought that calling it a ‘sonata’ would reveal my intentions and pointedly suggest the genre in which it could be placed and perceived. In this work, I especially strove to create clear and transparent material that could be used for later expansion. Subsequent versions or ‘relatives’ to this work are my Sonata for Clarinet and Piano (2004) and Sonata Ibis (2005) for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano – where Piano Sonata No. 1  exists completely intact with the addition of the other instruments.

DK

Annotation:
Dennis Kam considers the Sonata for Piano and strings  (2005) as a "relative" of the Sonata for piano No. 1, as well.
[John Van der Slice]

Commissioned by and dedicated to Amy Tarantino-Trafton.

Premiere: Nov. 23, 2002, Miami Festival, Amy Tarantino-Trafton
Premiere of the revised version: October 13, 2013, Amy Tarantino-Trafton