The three piano sonatas of Carl Vine, who was born in 1954 in Perth, Australia, were written in 1990, 1997, and 2007, respectively. Applying both the traditional term and form of “sonata” and various other techniques, Carl Vine writes and expresses his piano sonatas in such a way that they have become noticeable virtuosic monuments. The three piano sonatas employ the entire range of the keyboard, a wide range of dynamic expression, energetic and motoric rhythmic motion, and free and fluid fast passages with recognizable melody lines. My purpose in this document, after enjoying the learning process and performance experience with the second piano sonata in particular, is to share performance and practice suggestions, which will lead to the best interpretation and performance of these sonatas.
In addition, an interview with the composer, Carl Vine, enables the performer and other musicians to understand his thought and compositional process. An observation of the compositional style of his piano sonatas shows how well he understands the piano. Due to his own personal experience as a pianist, his three piano sonatas are playable under a pianist’s hands in spite of some difficult techniques.
This document is laid out as follows: Chapter I is an introduction. Chapter II is a brief biography of Carl Vine. Chapter III introduces Piano Sonata No.1 (1990) and Piano Sonata No.3 (2007) with an emphasis on formal analysis. Chapter IV introduces Piano Sonata No.2 (1997). Chapter V offers performance and practice suggestions based on a performer’s experience reports publication misprint of Piano Sonata No.1 (1990) and Piano Sonata No.2 (1997). A conclusion chapter follows, providing a summary of Carl Vine’s musical style and suggestions for further study which offer a comparison of the performance practices of other pianists who study and play Carl Vine’s music