Piano Sonata no. 2

Where my first sonata was based on the username of a member on this forum, my second sonata is a little more abstract.

The work begins with material derived from a tone row. The opening motif, of the first movement, then transforms into a more freer atonal chromaticism. My favorite texture and passage from the first movement begins at measure 70 and lasts until measure 82 -I don't think I've written a passage like this before.

The second movement starts with a light, almost dance-like atmosphere. This is my testament to chaos and resignation.

The final movement continues the material from the previous two movements and brings it to a final closure. 

Hope you enjoy. As always, comments welcome!

Adagio molto: the best part for me is between 70 - 83, where a rich texture is created. The slow parts, semi-canonic, doesn't work as well as that part. I can only speak for myself, but many times, when I wrote atonal pieces, I fall in the resource of putting long notes one after the other to make a nice harmonic part; and it works for a while, but not in the long term.

The second part Allegro assai is also very good, it has some "baroque" essence. The first part is also richer in texture.

The motif at the beginning or the third part is "a hook". Nice last chord with a tritone in the bass.

In general terms, as far as I have listened, your style is very eclectic. Of course your concept is atonal, but quite free. Particularly in this piece, the rhythms are similar to the ones in the common period. I mean, I don't hear broken or augmented rhythms. Also there are some sequences of ascending-descending notes or chords that remind to tonal or jazz music. I don't this this is bad at all, it's just an observation of what I get from your music.I believe in mixing, fusion or whatever you like. All languages are just tools, to use at our convenience.

I don't know much about discordant compositions such as this, but it was a marvellous listen. Thanks for sharing this piece.

I find the very end of the first movement to be a bit underwhelming. However, I do love this movement in its integrity, and its probably one of the thinks I heard from you I like the most.

6 hours ago, Luis Hernández said:

The second part Allegro assai is also very good, it has some "baroque" essence

Agreed.

The third mov reminds me of Guarnieri's piano études, which were my favourite pieces for a while. Your vocabulary often reminds me a lot of him.

Keep up the great work!

5 hours ago, Jean Szulc said:

I find the very end of the first movement to be a bit underwhelming. However, I do love this movement in its integrity, and its probably one of the thinks I heard from you I like the most.

Agreed.

The third mov reminds me of Guarnieri's piano études, which were my favourite pieces for a while. Your vocabulary often reminds me a lot of him.

Keep up the great work!

 

I'm not familiar with the work of Guarnieri. I'll definitely have to give his work a listen.

I think the first movement would sound a lot better played live. For instance, the ending -in the final manuscript- calls for a ritardando to close out the movement. MuseScore doesn't make this happen -unless you change the tempo yourself. I also don't like how MS renders mm. 61-68. A pianist would give this passage an intimate touch in a way the software just can't. Same thing with the rich texture mm. 70-83. 

12 hours ago, Luis Hernández said:

In general terms, as far as I have listened, your style is very eclectic. Of course your concept is atonal, but quite free. Particularly in this piece, the rhythms are similar to the ones in the common period. I mean, I don't hear broken or augmented rhythms. Also there are some sequences of ascending-descending notes or chords that remind to tonal or jazz music. I don't this this is bad at all, it's just an observation of what I get from your music.I believe in mixing, fusion or whatever you like. All languages are just tools, to use at our convenience.

 

I am starting to embrace the eclectic nature of my works -though, often, the eclecticism isn't quite intentional. Also unintentional is the use of tonal or jazz music within my works. One thing that I think is leading to this being perceived is that I'm finding that I'm taking a chord and transforming it into material in and of itself. That's how I arrived at the awesome texture in the first movement. The descending ostinato was derived from the chord immediately proceeding that passage. The material in the upper stave also was derived from that same chord. 

Glad you guys enjoyed the work.