Sonata for Flute and Harp (or Piano)

Born in St Petersburg in 1888, Schaposhnikov's musical inheritance was that of Glazunov and Rimsky-Korsakov. His Sonata for Flute and Harp is an intriguing work, full of apparent contradictions. It seems to have one foot in the 19th century and one in the 20th. It looks inwardly to Russian folk music and yet displays the influence of the French Impressionistic style. There is a lyrical but melancholy feel to the first movement. The Minuet is a gentle folk song, the harp evoking the sound of a balalaika, and the third movement has the strong, narrative quality of a ballad. Perhaps it is in the contradictions that this piece finds its strength.