Located in the UK
Located in the USA
Located in Europe
- Robert Saxton
Sonatas for Two Pianos (1977)
- Chester Music Ltd (World)
Commissioend by Susan Bradshaw and Richard Rodney Bennett
Programme Note
SONATAS FOR TWO PIANOS was commissioned by Susan Bradshaw and Richard Rodney Bennett with funds provided by the Arts Council of Great Britain. The first performance took place on 1 December 1977 at the Wigmore Hall, London.
This work consists of nine sections which play continuously and which are closely related in that they all use the same types of material, each section developing or treating certain harmonic areas and rhythmical figures in its own way.
The title of the piece is a description of its nature; the word 'sonatas' denotes the pre-classical idea of short movements which are 'instrumental pieces' (as opposed to cantatas which are 'sung pieces'), but in this piece there are, as has been pointed put, many unifying elements between the sections. In other words, each 'sonata' is not self contained but is part of the whole.
This work consists of nine sections which play continuously and which are closely related in that they all use the same types of material, each section developing or treating certain harmonic areas and rhythmical figures in its own way.
The title of the piece is a description of its nature; the word 'sonatas' denotes the pre-classical idea of short movements which are 'instrumental pieces' (as opposed to cantatas which are 'sung pieces'), but in this piece there are, as has been pointed put, many unifying elements between the sections. In other words, each 'sonata' is not self contained but is part of the whole.