Monday 28 January/1pm/RSAMD Glasgow,UK

Sonata “Eastern” (for viola and piano)

• Pastoso con vaghezza, moderato molto ritmico
• Dogliosamente con grandezza
• Con slancio, moltissimo brillante

Jiri Kabat – viola and Graeme McNaught – piano

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I started to write this piece in July 2006 and finished in December 2007. The piece is based on main themes from my previous Sonata for cello solo, which I wrote for Robert Irvine in the beginning of 2006. Music, which appears in 'this’ moment, always in one indissoluble manner unites with spirit present of that moment. For me music is just 'specific recording of time.’ The subtitle of this work is ‘Eastern’ and originates from a personal dialogue throughout 2005/2006 in which I became interested in Polish history between the two world wars. Between the wars two cultures, Jewish and Polish, collided. Many very outstanding musicians and artists from the Middle East came and settled in Poland. This had a huge influence on almost all aspects of cultural life in Poland, including music.
I decided to write a piece in this very specific style, bridging these two large traditions.This sonata is for two soloists in that both parts contribute equally to the whole. It is the first time I have included piano in one of my compositions. Commissioned and dedicated to one of the best viola players in his generation- Czech musician Jiri Kabat.