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My Sonata for Violin and Orchestra consists of three movements. The first movement (Grave) is serious and monumental in character. The solo violin starts playing soft, slowly undulating sixteenths, which form patterns reminiscent of Bach, but seem not to be connected to any clear tonality. After a while the orchestra enters, first with chords, which are a combination of G sharp minor and G major and then starting to develop passacaglia-type chord sequences interrupted by low clusters, gaining strength in every appearance. At first the solo violin seems to be unaware of this, but after a while it also starts to react to the developments in the orchestra. A culmination is reached, after which there is a diminuendo to the original dynamics of the movement. The passacaglia motives return, but this time in an inverted form, combined with high clusters. The movement ends with alternating high and low clusters in the orchestra, the solo violin rising ever higher into the skies.The second movement (Allegretto) brings in some totally different kind of music: irregular rhythmic impulses in the orchestra and fanfare-like, vigorous and joyous motives in the violin. Everything starts softly and mysteriously, but soon the orchestra starts to imitate the solo violin and all this results into a crescendo, but also brings in a more lamenting motive in the violin, accompanied by rapid processions of descending chords in the orchestra. The music tries to return to its joyful origins, but in the end its character becomes more and more desperate, culminating in a breath-taking coda (Furioso). The last movement starts attacca with colossal chords in the orchestra combining the tonalities of C sharp minor and C major. There is a defiant cadenza, consisting of material from the first movement, but in the end the violin seems to lose all hope and stops playing. The orchestra and the violin start a dialogue consisting partly of quotations from Beethoven's Streichquartett op. 135 ('Muss es sein?'). The music becomes more hopeful and finally finds peace, the solo violin ascending to heaven, accompanied by a ritualistic dialogue of high and low clusters in the orchestra. - Olli Mustonen

Year of composing

Arranger

Movements

Availability

Abbreviation	Instrument
Woodwind
acl	alto clarinet
afl	alto flute
arec	alto recorder
asax	alto saxophone
barsax	baritone saxophone
barhn	baritone horn
bcl	bass clarinet
bfl	bass flute
bob	bass oboe
bsax	bass saxophone
bsn	bassoon
cbsn	contrabassoon
cl	clarinet
ehn	English horn
fl	flute
hn	French horn
ob	oboe
pic	piccolo
rec	recorder
sax	saxophone
srec	soprano recorder
ssax	soprano saxophone
trec	tenor recorder
tsax	tenor saxophone
Brass
ahn	alto horn
atrb	altotrombone
barhn	baritone horn
btrb	bass trombone
cornet	cornet
euph	euphonium
fhn	flugelhorn
hn	French horn
tba	tuuba
thn	tenor horn
trb	trombone
trp	trumpet
Percussion
dr	drums
glock	glockenspiel
mar	marimba
perc	percussion
timp	timpani
vibr	vibraphone
xyl	xylophone
Strings
db	double bass
gamba	viola da gamba
str	strings
vla	viola
vlc	cello
vln	violin
Other
acc	accordion
cel	celesta
cemb	harpsichord
chords	chords
elbas	electric bass
elg	electric guitar
elorg	electric organ
elpno	electric piano
guit	guitar
harm	harmonium
hca	harmonica
hp	harp
instr	instrument
kantele	kantele
keyb	keyboard
live electr	live electronics
mand	mandolin
mel	melody
org	organ
pno	piano
synth	synthesizer
tape	tape
Vocal
alto	alto
baryt	baritone
basso	bass voice
ch	choir
chc	childrens choir
chf	female choir
chm	male choir
chx	mixed choir
cten	countertenor
mezzo	mezzo-soprano
sopr	soprano
speaker	speaker
ten	tenor
voc	vocal

Symphony orchestra
2222 4331 11 1, str = 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 French horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, one other percussionist, harp and strings
Wind band
2252 3 423 21212 3 = 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 5 clarinets, 2 bassoons - 3 saxophones - 4 French horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones - 2 cornets, alto horn, 2 tenor horns, baritone horn, 2 tubas - 3 percussionists
Big band
221 4 4, pno, guit, db, dr = 2 alto saxophones, 2 tenor saxophones, baritone saxophone, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, piano, guitar, double bass, drums
Additional codes
+	fl+pic = flutist doubles on piccolo
/	pno/org = can be played on either piano or organ
lib	ad libitum
obl	obligato
str	str: 65432 = specified number of string players
str min	str min: 65432 = at least 65432
str max	str max: 65432 = not more than 65432
solo	vln solo = violin is the solo instrument in a work not obviously for solo violin

Sonata for violin and orchestra