| Description |
The Fifth Sonata is inspired by Rosh ha-Shana (the Jewish New Year, generally falling in September). It is an optimistic work, full of hope for the coming year to be a blessed one.
The first movement is preceded by a sonnet "Happy New Year" written by the composer. The music itself is written in the sonata form and, though original, has many characteristics of the Jewish music.
The second movement is preceded by a musical greetings card for the New Year, the composer wrote and sent to friends. The song of this card is the theme for the variations following.
The third movement is preceded by a chorale, music and lyrics by the composer. This movemewnt is written in the form of a rondo: A - B - C - B - A - B - C - B - A - B - C - B - A in which C is the theme of the chorale. The rondo has twelve "stages", symbolic for the twelve months of the year and going through all the twelve scales of the "Well Tempered Clavier": D - G - C - F - Bb - Eb - Ab - Db - Gb=F# - B - E - A - D.
The Sixth Sonata has also three movements.
The first movement is written in a form, which combines the sonata form with that of the fugue.
The second movement is in lied form. The main theme is a beautiful song and the second one is more meditative.
The last movement, written in sonata form, starts with a theme, that recalls Dutch folk dances, while the second theme is a compelling one with a kind of Hungarian Gypsy character. |