Piano Sonata No.1
Richard Horner
About this work:
This piece is in classical sonata form consisting of three movements arranged fast/slow/fast. The piece is derived almost exclusively from two hexachords. The first pitch collection is two major triads a tritone apart (Set Class 6-30 [013679]), sometimes referred to as the Bitonal Major/Minor Hexachord. The second pitch collection is dominant sharp-11 chord (Set Class 6-34 [013579]) also known as Scriabin’s Mystic Chord.
The third movement Rondo was composed first. Here, Set Class 6-34 is used as an altered type of whole tone scale while Set Class 6-30 is used in both its “major” and “minor” forms of two major triads a tritone apart and to minor triads a tritone apart which both project an octatonic collection. There is an emphasis on displaced and irregular accents; odd and changing meters; and irregular and asymmetric groupings. An interesting aside, the 12/16 measures (m.105 & 107), while asymmetric in their aural result are actually symmetrical in construction. To illustrate this point, Xs represent accented notes and Os represent unaccented notes: XOXOXOOXOXOX.
The middle movement was composed next. The altered whole tone form of Set Class 6-34 as well as predominantly tertial arrangements of the same set class are the basis of much of the movement. The tempo shifts often and abundant tuplets combine with an emphasis on melodic writing to create a very flowing and romantic soundscape. Tritone relations and octatonic collections appear again in this movement as well.
The first movement is in standard Sonata-Allegro form. Theme one (m.1) outlines Set Class 6-30 in the accompaniment before cadencing to a dominant sharp-11 chord (m.9). Theme two (m.19) continues with the tritone Set Class 6-30 relations. The codetta theme (m.31) outlines an octatonic collection. The development section is comprised of elaborations on the main themes, octatonic collections and canonic imitations which outline the two structural harmonies. The re-transition (m.120) recalls the accompaniment of the codetta theme before launching into the reverse recapitulation thus superimposing an arch form onto the Sonata-Allegro form.
The piece is, essentially, a neo-tonal work that relies on referential structuralism to ground the listener. The use of only two hexachords provides an intervallic consistency to bind the work together. The use of these particular hexachords allows for relatively consonant formations due to their ability to be arranged tertially as well as flexibility in an operable framework as each projects a scale form – altered whole tone for Set Class 6-34 and octatonic for Set Class 6-30.
Year composed: 2004
Duration: 00:11:00
Ensemble type: Keyboard:Unknown
Instrumentation: ,1 Piano soloist(s)
Instrumentation notes: Solo Piano