Sikorski
“The desire to write a larger work for viola and piano has occupied me repeatedly over the past few years. Unfortunately, deadlines for other commissions prevented me from dedicating myself to this very appealing task earlier.
The sonata, completed this year, consists of three movements, but its character and the sequence of moods have little in common with classical sonata form. The focus is not on traditional form, but above all on atmosphere. It is music of a distinctly chamber music character. Dramatic passages are rare, and with the exception of the first half of the second movement, a mood of concentration and introspection prevails throughout the entire sonata. The work possesses a very intimate character, which can perhaps be summarized in a single word: misterioso.
Virtuosic elements recede almost entirely into the background in the sonata. Everything is subordinated to the different moods, which rather evoke a state of inner reflection and contemplation. This music invites meditative immersion rather than the admiring observation of instrumental virtuosity.
At the while composing the sonata, I had several recordings of works for viola and piano with Judith Ingolfsson and Vladimir Stoupel in mind. Their exceptional interpretive artistry was a great source of inspiration for me, for which I am particularly grateful to both artists.” (Krzysztof Meyer)