Violin Sonata #2
for violin and piano
(2012) Duration: 17:00
Recorded by Ben Sung (violin) and Jihye Chang Sung (piano)
Sonata for Violin and Piano was composed for Ben Sung and Jihye Chang in the summer of 2012. It's been my great professional pleasure to work with these remarkable performers over the years.
The unimaginative title of sonata reflects several things about the sixteen-minute work. First, the music is not especially programmatic or intended to evoke the extra-musical, with one exception: the second movement is subtitled "The Bell," which, while not conveying any specific meaning, seems to capture the tolling essence of this music. Second, the work is in four movements and follows a scheme similar to many historical sonatas: fast, slow, moderate, and fast. Finally, the movements are integrated at the micro-level of musical materials and long-range pitch connections, much as many sonatas of the past have been. By the micro-level, I mean information that is generally deeper and less obvious than the surface of the music.
Of course, not all integrative techniques of the work are hidden beneath the surface. Some are obvious, such as pitch connectedness through an expanded sense of E major. Just writing this last phrase gives me the shivers because a contemporary sensibility of key-ness is a concept far beyond the scope of this program note to address. Still, the idea likely conveys some helpful meaning.
In the case of the Sonata for Violin and Piano, I use an E major triad and the pitch E to unify much of the work. These simple materials are a source for a wide variety of relationships (some local, some distant) and become a primary location that is rediscovered throughout the piece as a frequent homecoming. While there is much more beneath the surface that unifies the work, I don't feel it is important for listeners to consciously grasp this. I believe deep level integration is important for the feeling that music holds together, but I don't believe that consciously grasping this integration is especially necessary. In other words, recognizing the secret art of a work may create a fuller experience for the listener, but this is not the price of admission.
Steve Rouse, September 9, 2012