Piano Sonata in E minor
the low, grumbling chords of the introduction
lead into a fanfare in the relative major, just
before the first theme enters, firmly
in the minor key–
an insistent, haunting tune
over an active, arpeggiated left hand
the second theme is an echo of the first,
inverted, forcing the accompanying harmony
into dark corners and dissonance
the development weaves both themes together,
with hints of the fanfare,
mocking the despair of the minor key themes
the recapitulation is a work of genius:
combining elements of the exposition and development
in a way that reveals the melody that was always there–
hidden inside them–
only revealed when the
contrasting themes
unite
the coda is a series of quiet cadences,
ending in the same progression as
the opening fanfare, now trapped
inside the melancholy of
the minor key
6 thoughts on "Piano Sonata in E minor"
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especially like “mocking the despair of the minor key themes” in your interpretation of the sonata
Thank you, Gaby!
Beautiful, Laura. Makes me wonder what composition you’re speaking of—Mozart? Chopin?—and want to hear it.
Thank you, Kevin!
I wasn’t thinking of an actual composition–I think I was imagining a piano sonata whose form could symbolize the way the “melodies” of our lives intertwine to reveal the unseen. I do love both the Chopin and Mozart sonatas!
One specific sonata I recommend everyone to hear at least once is the Rachmaninoff Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, particularly the recordings of Vladimir Horowitz–there is much poetry within.
What an achievement to translate music into poetry, especially with an imagined sonata.
How kind! Thank you so much, Nettie!