Sean William Calhoun | Composer and pianist

The Sonata for Flute and Piano was composed for flutist Emma Resmini. It begins with the flute alone, the piano adding only resonance. In the second movement, the piano enters, throwing the instruments into a tempestuous toccata with rapid melodic leaps in the flute and harmonic shifts in the piano. The third movement is a passacaglia, beginning slow, but building up to two towering climaxes before receding again. The fourth movement, a gigue, is a quick lilting dance which builds into a massive chaotic surge. The epilogue is a quiet movement, with the two instruments passing off parts of the main theme as it fractures into shards.