Piano Sonata

Elliott Carter's Piano Sonata, composed between 1945 and 1946, marked a significant shift in his musical style. This work features a complex texture of irregularly cross-accented counterpoint within a large-scale structure.1

Carter was an American composer known for his innovative approach to music, particularly his principles of polyrhythm and metric modulation. He was a recipient of two Pulitzer Prizes for music. His early works showed a diatonic style influenced by ancient Greek music, but the Piano Sonata signaled a move towards more intricate compositional techniques. This piece is considered a turning point, leading to further developments in his signature densely woven counterpoint, as seen in his later string quartets.1