Over the last few weeks I have posted (out of order) the first three movements to my Piano Sonata in C# minor which I composed in 2007. Today is the final movement, the 4th!
As I mentioned, I wanted each movement to grow out of what came before, and the fourth had bits of all of the other three included, though not in any obvious way. So here it is
(Click here if you don’t see the video below)
Anyway, a friend/music mentor had been asking for a fugue since I had started my serious study of “classical” music. This person owned an art gallery and had earlier, before I studied composition, commissioned four (4) pieces of music from me over a handful of years. I recently posted the first piece he commissioned, Sortes Vergilianae (The Fanatic), to YouTube and thought I did a post here, but can’t find it. Hmm, maybe I will some day. Anyway, click on that name if you are interested.
Back tot he story, Gary wanted a fugue, but I hadn’t studied fugue in depth, so I kept telling him “no”. Unfortunately, he passed away before he got his fugue. So I decided to write a fugue in the fourth movement here in his memory. Well, almost. I still hadn’t studied fugue and, though I understood how they worked, I didn’t have the form exactly right. So the middle of this is filled with fugue-like sections (fugato), though I think a purist wouldn’t call it “fugue”.
I do like the huge contrasts of super simple and super dense passages in this.
Here are links to the four videos:
1st movement
2nd movement
3rd movement
4th movement
If you start with the 1st, there are links from each video to the next one. And here are links to the three other blog posts about them:
1st movement blog post
2nd movement blog post
3rd movement blog post.
I hope you enjoy!
Trent's World (the Blog) 
This is so pretty, Trent!
I’ll listen to more later.
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Thanks! I think it caps off the sonata perfectly and hope others do as well.
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Hi T
I did enjoy this – and I think it was around the 4 minute mark that I like how it slowed down… a bit
🎶🎵
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Thanks, Yvette. I did play with the contrast between busy/dense/fast and /slow/quite/simple which I think makes the whole thing work.
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☀️🎶
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Loved it, such talent. I do get carried away with the eb & flow of piano playing magnificence like yours. Such fun. Thankyou for sharing.
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Thanks! I really like the entire sonata, but I think this end is just right for it. As you said, a lot of ebb and flow, going from simple and quiet to dense and loud(er).
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I enjoyed them immensely Trent! Piano is just so soothing and by far my most favorite instrument!! Most EXCELLENT! You are really talented, keep up the great work. I just love it!
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Thanks, Diana :) I haven’t composed any “classical” in over a decade, but I am getting back into writing music, even if it is much more pop.
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