sonatas at the Concert Hall

Thursday evening with Russian composers: Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev. Peter Laul played throughout, some Tchaikovsky together with the violinist Kirill Terentiev (Watlz-scherzo)and Rachmaninoff with cellist Oleg Sendetsky (Sonata).

The four movement form of a sonata seems to correspond to the variety that makes up a pleasant day, with the slower third movement relating to lunch / siesta - time. Historically there has also been an idea of balancing masculine and feminine characteristics.

There's also a soviet political argument about sonatas, where not following the form correctly could leave a composer open to a charge of "formalism". Both Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev emigrated immediately in 1917-18. Prokofiev returned in 1935 and later would get accused of this. He died on the day Stalin's death was made public 5th March 1953.