The Sonata-Fantasy was inspired by a beautiful poem by Pablo Neruda entitled “The Queen”. The names of the three movements are taken directly from the text: “all the rivers sound”, “bells shake the sky”, and “a hymn fills the world”. The piece is dedicated to Peter’s wife, Susan Hlasny.

The Queen

Pablo Neruda

I have named you queen.
There are taller than you, taller.
There are purer than you, purer.
There are lovelier than you, lovelier.
But you are the queen.

When you go through the streets
No one recognizes you.
No one sees your crystal crown, no one looks
At the carpet of red gold
That you tread as you pass,
The nonexistent carpet.

And when you appear
All the rivers sound
In my body, bells
Shake the sky,
And a hymn fills the world.

Only you and I,
Only you and I, my love,
Listen to me.

This recital, given with Frank Ho on violin and Peter on piano, took place at Muttart Hall, MacEwan University, Edmonton on November 15, 2016. Also on the program were Ravel’s Violin Sonata #1, Stravinsky’s Suite Italienne, and my own Suite for Violin and Piano.

all the rivers sound

 

bells shake the sky; a hymn fills the world