Sonatas from the fourth decade. Copland and Beethoven.

David Riley (violin) Daniel Gordon (piano)

The Copland sonata was written in 1943, immediately preceding Appalachian Spring. It exemplifies Copland's wish to develop an accessible, truly American musical style, moving away from a more discordant musical language. The sonata is a lyrical work, which demonstrates the composer's absorption of folk music, without the use of actual folk melodies. Typical transparent textures and wide-spaced harmonies, are juxtaposed with passages of considerable virtuosity for both instruments, recalling similar moments in much of Copland's music.

Beethoven's last sonata op. 96, was written in 1812, nine years after the previous " Kreutzer " sonata. In the G Major sonata, composed for a visit to Vienna by the French violinist, Pierre Rode, Beethoven went to considerable trouble to accommodate the classical style of Rode's playing. Not unlike the Copland, much of the work is intimate, with a tranquil beauty, which serves to draw the listener into the music, rather than it being a vehicle for overt display.

Clothworkers Centenary Concert Hall