Sonata by HIRAO - 1st Movement

Sonata by Hirao - 1st movement...played by dondon resurreccion during his graduation recital in hiroshima japan...

Sonate pour Hautbois et Piano Kisho Hirao Kishio Hirao (1907-1939) composed a number of significant works in his short life span of 46 years. While studying at the premedical course of Keio university he studied harmony and solfegio from Ryutaro Hirota and Satoru Onuma with a view to become a composer. After finishing his German literature course, he went over to France to study harmonics and counterpoint at Schola Cantorum in Paris. He moved to Ecola Cesar Frank, in where he studied composition, and graduated in 1936.Sonata for Oboe and Piano had been completed in order to be performed at the fourth "Chihijin-Kai Concert" in October 1951 and was performed for the first time by Seizo Suzuki on oboe and Taeko Hirao on piano. This piece was the last work of Hirao Kishio apart from arranging or translating jobs. In those days, his older daughter was majoring in oboe at the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music, and her teacher Seizo Suzuki was the one who urged him to compose music for the oboe.Generally, oboe is regarded as a delicate instrument and yet it is obstinate. But Hirao viewed it as the instrument with the best expression power among all the woodwind instrument. It is presented to its mysteriously fascination of its sound and sharply line contrasting with mechanical sound impression of piano. The 1st movementIt begins with a pentatonic lyrical first theme in Moderato (in common time).The second theme is like a serenade, quiet and calm.The development is sensitive both carefully and strong.In the recapitulation, only the first theme is been used. The piano is the one who finishes the movement while the oboe playing a G# long diminuendo note.This section is written in sonata form. The 2nd movementThe first theme is bright and lively, and led by the piano rolling rapidly.The second theme follows in both graceful and subtle swaying. And out of nowhere, another melody- like folk songs was been used.In the development section, the oboe and the piano are playing a Musical scale motion, and then the recapitulation appeared faithfully.This movement is in compound-ternary-like sonata form. The 3rd movementIt is in rondo allegro sonata form. The melody was first introduced by the piano, until the oboe takes over. The second theme has an elegant Arabian-like motive, in which the oboe is playing five- quarter notes against four of the piano.At the end of the piece, the first theme was recapitulated in much faster tempo. This sonata has a lot of difficult passages that requires a lot of time to practice.The first movement is the one that caught my attention because of its lyrical and melodious motif. It is like a soul that singing quietly and gradually it grows to climax and end in loneliness.