Fantasia quasi sonata

The Fantasia quasi-sonata for mandolin and piano is a composition which aims at a modern reinterpretation of styles and forms that have influenced the history of music and of the composition techniques. Its construction principles retain “conceptually” the typical characteristics of a Fantasia, with solutions and structures used in the Sonata form. Starting from the title, it’s hard not to be le to think about the famous Dante Sonata by Franz Liszt (“Après une Lecture de Dante: Fantasia quasi Sonata”).

Yet, it has always been a common practice in music to justify “poetic license” as this is functional to artistic creation; trailblazer was Beethoven who titled “Sonata almost fantasy” the two sonatas for piano op. 27 n. 1 and n. 2 (more commonly known under the name of “Moonlight Sonata”), wanting to treat the Sonata form with greater freedom.

On the principle of the above, the composition for mandolin and piano comes as a free piece formed of a single movement divided into three “blocks” plus the coda, as if to recall, with a broader and more modern view, the most common structure of a classical sonata (Allegro – central movement, often an Adagio – closing movement, Allegro or Presto); all of it combined with typical compositional techniques of this form as developments, elaboration of thematic and rhythmic cells, variations, etc...

It is obvious, at the same time, that the character is more similar to a Fantasy, not tied to fixed patterns, with not always functional harmonic solutions (if not in the exposition and in the Coda that deliberately evoke “classical” suggestions), open to the larger creative freedom.

Final aspect that has to be taken into consideration is the way it is treated the solo instrument, Mandolin. One of the targets that have been determinants during the writing of this piece has been the ability to retrace, always in a figurative sense and within the limits of a short composition, the more important stages of the musical evolution of this instrument; there are then recognizable ideas, techniques and gestures classics, romantic, modern and popular.