Intended to be played as one continuous movement, Tippett emphasizes the independence of the pianist hands in the outer ranges in the two Allegro movements. The first section is a sonata-allegro, the second is a set of variations, and the third is a toccata. Tippett's conception of pianistic virtuosity was in terms of arms and hands rather than fingers. The independence of the hands encompasses, two-part counterpoint, free melodic inversion but with strict rhythmic canon with great distances between the two hands. Tippet quotes from King Priam for the subject of the first Allegro. While formally, he presents the themes in the first allegro as a sonata form, tonally Tippett departs from the structure in the recapitulation by having the second theme repeat exactly rather than in tonic. He concludes the movement in the unresolved tonality. The Lento offers some relief from the tension of the first movement through its, dynamic contrast, serenity, closer relationship between the hands. The theme consists of 17 chords in variation form repeated five times at the interval of an ascending minor third with each succeeding variation. Structurally the circle of variations provides no escape through the ever increasingly complex decorations and ornamentation. The final section of the sonata begins with a variation on the opening theme that is relentless in its two-part invertible counterpoint. Tippett uses the palindrome (A= 287-322; B 323-382; A retrograde 382-422; A 425-453; B 454-485; Coda 485-489) to tighten the structure, but follows it with the return of the first section in its original form and a coda.



© All Music Guide