Sonata in G Minor, Op. 22

Written in one movement, this massive G minor sonata contains elements of a multi-movement work embedded within a single piece. The opening motif, which consists of an ominous five-note theme, immediately sets a dark and disturbing mood. As the music progresses, this idea undergoes thematic transformations and variations. One cannot help but recognize similarities in form and aesthetics to one of the most important piano works of the 19th century: Franz Liszt’s B minor Sonata. The great Russian pianist, Heinrich Neuhaus, once said that “the sonata’s trajectory is felt from the first to the last note as one uninterrupted line.”