08.11.25 Gŵyl NAWR 2025

"I have been working for the past three months with my collaborator, the Finnish guitarist Janne Malinen, on my new Guitar Sonata. Having worked with Janne on several guitar pieces before, the chance to write a full sonata with him has been a real privilege. Our collaboration has mostly taken place online, through regular Zoom sessions and the exchange of recordings and score updates by email. The sonata follows the traditional three-movement structure of fast–slow–fast, though there is no adherence to sonata form as such; for me, it is a multi-movement exploration of contrast. I wanted to write something that reflects my love of folk music, while also exploring the wide expressive and technical range of the guitar. Working with Janne helped shape an idiomatic and resonant score that captures both. The first movement, following a slow introduction, unfolds as a flowing section that expands and contracts organically rather than developing in a conventional way. The slow movement is brief and mono-thematic, its melody presented in both major and minor, almost Satiesque in character. The final movement is vibrant and rhythmically driven—a toccata that draws on the resonance of the guitar’s open strings. Working closely with Janne was invaluable in bringing this challenging finale to life. To paraphrase Bob Dylan, what this sonata is about, is fifteen minutes; beyond that, I would rather leave its meaning to each listener’s imagination. This piece marks another chapter in a 25-year collaboration between Janne and me: I continue to learn more about the guitar, and he continues to learn more about my music, thoughts, and feelings."