American Piano Sonatas, Vol. 2: Griffes, Sessions, Ives

Here comes the second collection of the great American piano sonatas performed by Peter Lawson, the first one having been released on November 26th. It includes Ives’ first official one (the seminal Three-Page Sonata being featured on the first volume), a highly complex work filled with reminiscences of hymns and ragtime tunes.

Two other works complete the program of this album: the late piano sonata of Charles Griffes, who was long heavily influenced by French impressionism before adopting a very personal style at the end of this short life; and the second sonata of Roger Sessions, an admirer of Viennese expressionism, which he composed just before his conversion to strict serialism.