Henryk Mikołaj Górecki

Sonata

Sonata for piano, composed in 2010, is dedicated to the composer's sister, the distinguished pianist Anna Górecka. It is a work in one movement; however, an introduction can be discerned, as can the sections loosely connected to the exposition, the development and the recapitulation which occur in the classic sonata form. The piece forges the main compositional theme from the intricate isolated tones and harmonies which appear in the work in a diversity of manifestations. As the composer himself has remarked, this return to a classical form is an escape from musical anarchy, a drawing upon the traditional, a challenge. I do most strongly believe that, just like the symphony, the quartet and so forth, the sonata holds its own to this day. [...] Of course, our understanding as to what a sonata is, for instance, has changed, but it seems to me that the notion of classical forms in itself is timeless. The work had its world premiere on 24th October 2011 in Katowice, where it was performed by Anna Górecka.