Piano Sonata No. 3, Sonata Macabre
I. Adagio
II. Allegretto–Meno mosso–Allegretto
III. Largo (In memoriam: György Ligeti (June 12, 2006)
IV. Scherzando
October 15, 2006, Jordan Hall, Larry Bell, pianist
February 9, 2009, Larry Bell, pianist. David Friend Recital Hall, Berklee College of Music
My Third Piano Sonata was written in June of 2006 and grew out of a desire to understand the musical language of one of my teachers, Roger Sessions. After a thorough analysis of the Sessions nine symphonies, I began to notice a consistent (although unorthodox and unsystematic) approach to the choice of pitches. Most notable, however, was the absence of any techniques associated with dodecaphony or serialism.
Instead, I noticed a distinct preference for half-step fluctuations between scales of the same type (such as whole tone and octatonic scales). Furthermore, these scales were embellished with “non-harmonic” tones that lay outside of these collections. Although these groupings were clearly not tonal, they also seemed to eschew any type of system. The pitches were chosen rather freely, but always in relation to a principal motive or theme.
My own sonata follows the classical scheme: first movement, sonata form with three expositions (a form dear to Sessions and derived from Beethoven); an elegiac slow movement; a third-movement minuet and trio; and a frenetic and somewhat sardonic finale. The overall character of the music shows the influence of Sessions, as well, in its preoccupation with a kind of black comedy; thus the subtitle Sonata Macabre. In addition, while composing the sonata, I learned of the death of the great Hungarian composer, György Ligeti, hence the dedication at the head of the second movement.
I recorded my first Piano Sonata on “New American Romantics” in 1996 on North/South Recordings (N/SR 1007) and my Piano Sonata No. 2 (Tâla) on “Piano Music of Larry Bell,” Albany Records (Troy 828).
More Piano Works
A Brief History of Brooklyn and The Screening Room, Opus 192
Postcard from Ukraine for piano solo, Opus 189
Third Elegy, In Memory of KEO, Opus 179
Piano Sonata no. 7 Southern Meditations, Opus 174
Piano Sonata No. 5, A landscape of Small Ruins, Opus 166
Piano Sonata no. 4 in two movements, Opus 165
24 Preludes and Fugues, Opus 156
Piano Etudes (Book 2), Opus 146
Canons for the Young, Opus 145
9 Variations on "We Shall Overcome", Opus 132
Fifteen Three-Part Sinfonias, Opus 127
First Piano Sonatina, Opus 123
Twelve Lyric Preludes, Opus 116
INGS, Ten bagatelles for piano, Opus 115
Remembering Al: Idumea Variations, Opus 91
Harmony of the Spheres, Opus 82
Four Chorale Preludes, Opus 67
Suite from Hansel and Gretel, Opus 65
Piano Sonata No. 2 "TÂLA", Opus 61
Reminiscences and Reflections; Twelve Preludes and Fugues, Opus 46
Blues Theme with Variations, Opus 37
The Parable of the Parabola, Opus 30
First Tango in London, Opus 22