Piano Sonata in C minor, 2nd movement

Link to first movement:

The second movement to my C minor piano sonata is a work of great trial and error. For those just simply want to listen, please do.

For those tempted by spoilers, here's such:

I managed to record a semi-decent playing of the 3rd movement, so that should not take too long to be released later.

Hi @PCC,

This is for sure lovely playing. For me I feel like I get lost in the first Ab minor part, and only starts to get into the music more in the middle section. I love the C minor recap and start finding the themes! The mood for me is really difficult and confusing with good use of the Ab minor and the complex harmony. For me it may not be as expressive as 1st mov, and I somewhat get confused by this movement here in my 1st listening, but that's what the movement is about I think.

For the ending I do feel like the Ab minor conclusion somewhat forced. Maybe rather just a bar you can have a longer coda? But after all the overall tonic is overwhelming, thus making a return to Ab minor quite unnecessary. Maybe you just end on C minor and go for an attaca transition to the finale Scherzo? I don't know!

Again thanks for sharing your live recording of youe movement! I really appreciate this!

Henry

The prototype baseline for section A was just simple three-note arpeggios, till much later I made modifications to this more nuanced approach.

I'm glad it conveyed such sense of being lost, though as you said, might be too much? I would not trim any of it though. Overall it's just more reserved in terms of emotions I suppose. It's also quite literally the heart of this sonata. The themes in this sonata were chosen with having longing for my friends in my mind, but I would not elaborate further.

I tried to give section B a bit more of the "old world" renaissance vibe to it, but then I realised it could go on forever and I need a counterweight to it, which is is why it became sort of a fantasy-like part afterwards.

You might also notice I had been experimenting with the idea of "keeping the melody/theme the same while changing the baseline" throughout the first two movements.

Thank you for listening! This is how I applied an infamous octave glissando in the returning A section lol, but I'm not actually sure of a crescendo is possible.
(you don't have to do it but that's the technique I had in mind when writing it)
(actually yeah the crescendo is likely possible, I just tried, but like... practicing octave glissandos isn't a very practical thing for the skin of the fingers)

The ending in Ab, like the first movement ending with G, was meant to connect to the next movement. The way I see it, the second last bar "belongs" to the last bar. I'm not too worried about its abruptness as the last two bars are meant to be played very softly, but I can see why it can be viewed as sudden.

The third movement recording will be loaded with mistakes but I don't have the energy or time to attempt again...