Programme notes:

Tereza Jaďuďová (b. 2001)
Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 58
Written in 2021

Written over two days in August 2021, Jaďuďová’s Piano Sonata No. 1 stands as a concentrated yet ambitious three-movement work. Dedicated to her piano teacher Beata Bukaiová, the sonata carries the epigraph from Heinrich Heine: “When words fall silent, music starts to play.” This sentiment shapes a work in which contrasts of character, colour, and motion replace verbal narrative, allowing the piano alone to speak.

I.

The opening movement unfolds in a sustained, reflective manner, gradually revealing more animated passages. Expansive melodic writing alternates with more vigorous sections, maintaining a sense of lyrical breadth.

II.

The second movement turns inward, with sombre harmonies and quiet textures. Its atmosphere is intimate, almost meditative like a funeral march, creating a deep expressive centre for the sonata.

III.

The final movement provides contrast with its brighter energy and forward drive. Rhythmic vitality and flowing figuration animate the music, before it returns to a calmer mood, and then closing the sonata with loud resolution.