Arnold’s composition process was sporadic, given that there’s not a lot of music spanning over 60 years and very wide ranged in style. Whether it was a desire to mimic Shostakovich (Polka), or an experiment to see how much disharmony could be harmonious (Habanera), most of his piano works emerged spontaneously. The larger Sonatina came about as a result of Roger Sessions suggesting he take his class…

more to come…