Performance History

• 15 December 2016, Morse Hall, Lincoln Center, New York, NY
  Stella Chen (violin) & Julius Abrahams (piano)
   
• 27 April 2013, NYU, New York, NY
  Henry Flory (violin) & Lachlan Glen (piano)

Program Notes

The Sonata No. 1 was begun in late 2011 and not completed until February of 2013. The piece originated as a two movement work, however after the premiere of these two movements in 2012, I realized that another movement was needed to precede them in order to properly present the musical material of the piece.

The first movement is episodic, and begins with a passionate melody in the violin which, out of nowhere, erupts into a grotesque march. This march settles into a short scherzando section which foreshadows material that will appear in the final movement. After a reprise of the opening theme the music calms into a new section. It’s “lyric” theme, which is hinted at earlier in the movement, appears in different forms throughout the work in each of the movements. The movement closes with the march theme, this time presented in a fugal setting.

The second movement, begins with a mysterious version of the “lyric” theme. This movement elaborates on and varies much of the material from the first movement and leads directly into the third movement, which begins with a bang.

The finale is a dizzying moto perpetuo. In the middle we finally hear the “lyric” theme in its full soaring glory, but the bliss is short lived. Insanity takes over once more, and the piece ends in a fury.