Piano Sonata no. 2 in B minor, “Winter Sonata” (2019)
The “Winter” in this piece is heard in the two outer movements, begun about a year apart during the holidays in snowy New England. The first movement’s slow introduction embodies the cool austerity of winter with sharp clear octaves and dotted rhythms. The ensuing allegro turns these rhythms into something jagged and aggressive until a lilting lyrical theme takes over, evocative of the warmth of home and family. Material from the introduction returns throughout the allegro. The final movement, while more flowing and improvisatory, is based largely based on music from the first movement.
The second movement was written during my summer at home in New England, and it reflects the warm geniality of the place. It is an extended, passionate song, at times echoing the symphonic slow movements of Beethoven and Mahler.
Piano-Sonata-no-2-in-B-minor-Complete-score