Piano Sonata (Mvt. II)

Carlos is currently working on a large scale, 3 movement piano sonata, and this is the completed second movement from the work. Departing from his normal neo-romantic style, this piece is an exploration into minimalism with faint nods to impressionism. The piece is, in a way, a response to Summit View, which was one of Carlos’ most developed works at the time that he wrote it. This movement, marked “Timeless” in tempo, is meant to represent the eternality of musical ideas and solitude. There are very few themes throughout this movement, some of which are referencing Summit View and others which reference the outer movements of the sonata (these can be heard most clearly after the movement reaches its climax). Because of that, the beauty lies not in the complexity but rather the simplicity and elegance of the harmonic language. The transience of the soundscape that seems to take you “somewhere and nowhere just the same” is achieved in large part to the form of the piece, which is based around strict mathematical ratios (dictating when events occur in the piece) as well as the three tonal centers. The movement is highly philosophical and reflective with the music seeming to happen in your mind; this effect greatly contrasts with the outer movements of the piano sonata.

Performance Time: 9’45”