Medtner's innovations in Sonata form are astonishing. I only have a minute, so I'll be brief this time

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Take the 1st and 3rd Concerti, which use the same basic structure. These pieces are in sonata, rondo and theme and variation form at the same time!

Now I've never sat down with the scores and done an arenskyschenkerian analysis (my own way, derived from Schenker, of figuring out what's going on in any given musical structure whether it's "All the Things you Are", op.101 or "Noctuelles"). But if you listen in sonata form mode, it's there, same with the other two forms. This is one of the reasons his music is so hard to understand at first, there's a hell of a lot happening all at the same time! Also he pulls off these compositional tours de force with very simple material, derived from Russian folk song (with very slick sophisticated harmonization). I believe this has led many listeners to dismiss Medtner as overwritten with a poverty of thematic invention. Well Beethoven's themes aren't always so great either! It's what he does with them, the building! It's the same with Medtner, who idolized beethoven above all other composers and strove to emulate him. In fact, I believe the only works Medtner would perform that weren't his own were the Beethoven Fourth Concerto and the Appasionata Sonata, of which he made an extraordinary recording in 1945

Oh, I said I'd be brief

Medtner is a topic I get carried away with

. Anyway, Beethoven "built" (composed ) music primarily with motives, Medtner used pretty melodies with very lush, sophisticated post-romantic chord changes and harmonic settings. His vocabulary led to his being ignored by the mid-20th Century Music establishment(who have driven our art form to near death in intensive care, so to speak; hope they're happy!

) and their intellectual BS. They are not rotting in hell; they are rotting now, while still alive!

I'll be back tonight, must practice and teach.