Composed: 2018
Duration: ≈ 25 minutes
Instrumentation: Solo Piano
The Esoteric is conceived as a four-movement cycle in which rhythmic trance, introspection, and transcendence intertwine. Though its title suggests hidden meaning, the work developed intuitively, driven more by inner impulse than by external design. The result is a large-scale exploration of tension, revelation, and release.
The first movement establishes a hypnotic rhythmic pulse beneath an atmosphere of restraint and stoicism. Fragmented motifs gradually expand into layered polyphony, culminating in a surge of massive chords before dissolving into a whisper.
The second movement offers contrast: a light, almost playful dance in compound time whose middle section veers into polytonal and alien territory before returning to its opening character. The third movement is the emotional center of the sonata, a lyrical meditation marked by stillness and vulnerability, briefly disrupted by darker harmonic undercurrents.
The finale recalls the opening theme with bold clarity, transforming it into a fugal tapestry that spirals toward eruption. The work concludes in a passionate, turbulent descent, where the principal melody reappears in distorted form before collapsing in a final downward sweep.
The Esoteric functions as a synthesis and culmination, integrating rhythmic intensity, contrapuntal structure, and expressive depth into a unified work.
Marked Dolce; il basso pesante, the movement unfolds from a weighted, grounded bass over which restrained lyricism gradually accumulates. Repetitive rhythmic figures and subtle contrapuntal growth shape a continuous, trance-like trajectory.
The second movement offers contrast: a light, almost playful dance in compound time whose middle section veers into polytonal and alien territory before returning to its opening character.
The third movement is the emotional center of the sonata, a lyrical meditation marked by stillness and vulnerability, briefly disrupted by darker harmonic undercurrents.
The finale recalls the opening theme with bold clarity, transforming it into a fugal tapestry that spirals toward eruption. The work concludes in a passionate, turbulent descent, where the principal melody reappears in distorted form before collapsing in a final downward sweep.
RMM | Richard M. Martirosian 