This is the first movement (of three) of a Sonata for Flute, Oboe and Three Pianos.

The word 'sonata' originally meant simply a piece of music. It comes from the Latin word 'sonare', to sound; so a sonata is anything that is sounded by instruments, as opposed to a cantata, which is anything that is sung (from the Latin word, 'cantare', to sing).

The use of three pianos is odd. I orchestrate as I compose, but the piano part (originally intended for a single piano) grew to epic proportions. It became music for the solo woodwinds and two pianos and then, finally, for three separate pianos.

I moved the pianos sonically around the soundfield: one left, one centre and one right and placed the solo woodwinds front and centre.

Musically, it's kinetically detailed and boisterous, with a contrasting ruminative middle section. The recapitulation barrels like a bullet train to the coda.

Instrumentation: Solo Flute, Solo Oboe, Three Pianos.

Duration: 8' 25"

The bitrate has been compressed to 256 kbps to meet upload limits.