Sonata for Violin and Piano

The work is characterized by an austere, neo-Classical rhetoric which is evident in its lean textures and extended contrapuntal play, including three-part canons in the first two movements and the superimposition of one theme in the violin upon a different two-voice canon in the piano in the finale. While the harmonic language is largely diatonic, the tonal centers unconventionally shift on the turn of a note, lacing a degree of ambiguity into the work. Similarly, the piece frequently moves along like an improvisation, tempi increasing and decreasing at a moment's notice. The first movement features a slow introduction that evolves into a vigorous opening theme. A simple second theme punctuated by plain triads in the piano leads into a more turbulent development that climaxes in a triple-forte passage, followed by a recapitulation and a brief coda. The central Lento is more an interlude than a movement per se, while the finale proceeds in binary form. The first half of the finale, derived in varying degrees from previous material in the sonata, proceeds from a scherzo-like theme to a slower, more intimate melody, to a fast spirited tune, to a short folk-like interlude, and finally, a poignant closing theme. The second half more or less recapitulates the first half, with the addition of a somber coda that is actually a brief reprise of the opening of the first movement. - Brian Wise at allmusic.com Composer David Diamond recalls playing the Sonata for violin and piano with the composer in Copland's New York loft at the time of the work's composition. Diamond said, "I advised him to use harmonics in the last movement." The Sonata is in the usual three movements, the last two to be played without pause. Following the premiere in 1944 for which Copland was the pianist, Virgil Thomson called the Sonata "one of its author's most satisfying pieces. It has a quality at once of calm elevation and of buoyancy that is characteristic of Copland and irresistibly touching." - Vivian Perlis, on back cover.