Piano Sonatas (Ustvolskaya)

The six piano sonatas by Galina Ustvolskaya were composed over the course of 43 years - each showing a gradual progression of the composer's style.

The first two sonatas were written during her study with Shostakovich, but retain a unique voice. According to Alex Ross, the works are evocative of the Rosicrucian mystical period of Satie. The following two were composed less than a decade later and involve more expressive dynamic markings and contrasts. The final two sonatas, written nearly thirty years after the Fourth Sonata, are perhaps the most shocking and violent expressions within her musical output.

Sonata No. 1 (1947) is in four movements, usually taking about ten minutes to perform. As a whole, the work showcases her use of two-part counterpoint, repeated use of single-note values, and economical intensity of musical material.

Sonata No. 2 in two parts (1949) features similar melodic material in its two movements that are expressed quite differently. The tempo relationships between the movements (quarter=80 vs. quarter=92) allows the movements to take different courses. The second movement features an extended climax, which utilizes repeated quarter notes and, over the course of three to four minutes, grows to a ffff dynamic. Despite this procession of quarter notes, the music retains Ustvolskaya's use of counterpoint, with each voice retaining its clarity.

Sonata No. 3 (1952) is Ustvolskaya's longest out of the six. The work is based on three unresolved melodies, all presented within the first four minutes. According to Thom Jurek, the melodies "hang there, like prayers extended in supplication and as yet unanswered. This sonata is ever waiting upon the sweep of divine intervention yet continues dutifully, persistently in its sweetness as if not convinced it's already not too late. It engages silence at its end, as the last statement of mystery, without wonder or expectation, its part in the spiritual equation complete." The one-movement work has many tempo indications, but retains a brutal and obsessive quarter-note drive.

Sonata No. 4 in four parts (1957) contains elements of Satie, Shostakovich, even Rachmaninov. Its architectural clarity of form is mixed with stark contrasts. The first movement opens with three bell-like chords and progresses through an withdrawn, extended pp passage. The fourth movement offers stand-alone polytonal phrases and intervals that's architecture dictates its form.

...
Wikipedia