Duo Sonata
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Instrumentation
Piano
1
Viola
1
Additional Information
The Duo Sonata was originally written in 1980 and revised in 2012. It is in a single movement and last just under 13 minutes.
This sonata explores the melancholy nature of the viola and starts with a slow melody for viola alone, with the piano later entering with a descending modal scale in the bass.
The second subject is a fast section featuring harsh, dramatic chords in the piano. After development of this section, the first subject briefly reappears in slightly varied form. The viola then launches into a cadenza, with later interruptions from the piano, which also attempts a solo cadenza, but the viola takes over and finishes the piece with a further variation on the first subject.