Sonata

Description

Euphonium, Piano — PROGRAM NOTE by Eric EwazenSONATA for Euphonium and Piano is dedicated to my good friend, and one of the truly exceptional euphonium players of our time – Adam Frey, who commissioned the work to be premiered at the International Euphonium Institute in Atlanta, GA, at Emory University. This is my second work featuring euphonium, the first being a concerto for euphonium and wind ensemble. With the SONATA I wanted to write a piece, in the spirit of the 19th-century sonatas for winds and piano, where the soloist and the pianist are very much equal partners, with the musical gestures constantly tossed back and forth between the instruments. It is in a traditional 3-movement form: a lively, bold fast movement, a sweet, song-like 2nd movement, and a riveting, exciting finale. Adam Frey is perhaps the greatest proponent of the euphonium (witness: euphonium.com), with over 70 works written or arranged specifically for him. For a world-class low brass player, it is only natural to add Eric Ewazen to that growing list of composers, and Ewazen responded with his Sonata for Euphonium and Piano. The composer describes the sonata as "in the spirit of the 19th-century sonatas for winds and piano, where the soloist and the pianist are very much equal partners, with musical gestures constantly tossed back and forth between instruments. It is in a traditional 3-movement form: a lively, bold fast movement, a sweet, song-like 2nd movement, and a riveting, exciting finale." Interested parties can find a masterclass by Adam Frey on the Ewazen Sonata on YouTube For advanced performers.