Piano Sonata I. Kimnara’s Blessing (Recording)

The first and last movements here are named after deities in the Japanese Buddist-Hindu canon. I was inspired by a visit to the Sanjusangendo shrine in Kyoto, where 1000 exquisite ancient wood statues have stood for many centuries. There I saw Kimnara, a winged female spirit, a gentle celestial musician. My evocation of her music is ritualistic. The piece begins and ends with an “a-men” and features an abundance of thematic material which includes lyrical expression, as well as harp-like flourishes and most notably, exuberant sections based on the ringing metallic sounds and rhythmic gestures of the Balinese gamelan orchestra. The movement is loosely cast in the traditional sonata-allegro format.