Sonata for Viola and Piano

For viola and piano

Sonata

Arcanum

A four-movement sonata of arrival, ash, finality, and loss — a chamber dialogue for viola and piano.

Year 2013
Duration 25′
Scoring Viola
Piano
Publisher Boosey & Hawkes
/ Sikorski
Boosey & Hawkes / Sikorski Purchase Score ECM Recording

Concept

Four Latin words form the architecture. Advenio · Cinis · Postremo · Adempte — each movement opens a different threshold of meaning.

Structure

A sonata in four movements. The work moves from arrival to ashes, from finality to deprivation.

Movements

  • I. Advenio

    To arrive · to come from outside · to reach

  • II. Cinis

    Ashes · residue of fire · the grave

  • III. Postremo

    At last · finally · after everything else

  • IV. Adempte

    Taken away · deprived · removed

Work Information

Full Title
Sonata for Viola and Piano “Arcanum”
Scoring
For viola and piano.
Year
2013
Duration
25′
Form
Sonata in four movements.
Instrumentation
Viola and piano.
Abbreviations PDF
Publisher
Published by Boosey & Hawkes / Sikorski .
Score
SIK8821 · exempla nova 621.
Availability
Score available for sale through Boosey & Hawkes / Sikorski and Schott Music.

The Work

Sonata Arcanum is a work for viola and piano composed in 2013. Its four movements take their titles from Latin words whose meanings become portals into the music: arrival, ash, finality, and deprivation.

The sonata speaks in four thresholds: to arrive, to become ash, to come last, to be taken away. Work description

The viola and piano are treated as equal dramatic agents. The work’s language is intimate but volatile, moving between declamation, ritual, memory, and withdrawal.

  • Form Four-movement sonata.
  • Language Movement titles in Latin.
  • Forces Viola and piano.

Context

Arcanum appears on the ECM New Series recording by Kim Kashkashian and Lera Auerbach, paired with Auerbach’s viola-and-piano arrangement of Shostakovich’s 24 Preludes. The pairing places Auerbach’s original sonata beside a reimagined twentieth-century cycle, both works exploring the viola as a voice of inward intensity.

The published score appears in Sikorski’s exempla nova series and is available as a printed edition.

Online Materials

Public links related to Sonata Arcanum. Use the filters to view publisher pages, score listings, recordings, streaming links and performance references.

  • Publisher
    Boosey & Hawkes / Sikorski

    Official publisher page for Sonata for Viola and Piano “Arcanum”.

    Boosey & Hawkes
  • Score
    Purchase Score

    Official Boosey & Hawkes / Sikorski purchase page.

    Boosey & Hawkes
  • Score
    Schott Music · Arcanum

    Schott listing for Arcanum, Sonate für Viola und Klavier, product number SIK8821.

    Schott Music
  • Sheet music
    Sheet Music Plus · Arcanum

    Retail score listing for the Sikorski edition, 52 pages, SIK8821.

    Sheet Music Plus
  • Recording
    ECM New Series · Arcanum

    Kim Kashkashian, viola · Lera Auerbach, piano. Includes Auerbach’s Arcanum and Shostakovich–Auerbach 24 Preludes.

    ECM Records
  • Spotify album
    Arcanum: Shostakovich & Auerbach

    Spotify album page for the ECM recording with Kim Kashkashian and Lera Auerbach.

    Spotify
  • Spotify track
    Arcanum · IV. Adempte

    Spotify track from the ECM recording, performed by Kim Kashkashian and Lera Auerbach.

    Spotify
  • Apple Music Classical
    Arcanum · Work Page

    Apple Music Classical work page for Arcanum, listing the Kim Kashkashian and Lera Auerbach recording.

    Apple Music Classical
  • Apple Music
    Arcanum · Album

    Apple Music album page for the ECM release Arcanum.

    Apple Music
  • YouTube
    Arcanum · I. Advenio

    Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group. Kim Kashkashian, viola · Lera Auerbach, piano.

    YouTube
  • YouTube
    Arcanum · IV. Adempte

    Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group. Kim Kashkashian, viola · Lera Auerbach, piano.

    YouTube
  • Program note
    West Cork Music · Arcanum

    Program listing and note for the Irish premiere, with movement descriptions.

    West Cork Music
  • Review
    The Strad · Arcanum

    Review of the ECM recording with Kim Kashkashian and Lera Auerbach.

    The Strad
  • Composer site
    Lera Auerbach · Discography

    Official discography page listing Arcanum with Kim Kashkashian and Lera Auerbach.

    leraauerbach.com
Boosey & Hawkes / Sikorski logo

Publisher and Materials

Published by Boosey & Hawkes / Sikorski. The score is available for sale through the official Boosey & Hawkes / Sikorski purchase page and as Sikorski product SIK8821.