Dinu Lipatti – „Sonatina for the left hand”

Abstract

This article is dedicated to the study of one of the most successful works of Dinu Lipatti, Sonatina for the left hand. In this work, the composer experiments with how to obtain a varied and colorful discourse with few means, „in an uncomplicated and clearly organized framework” that „will always be accessible to the public”, as the composer himself says. Sensitivity and diligence transpire in the writing of this brilliant piece of „pure” Romanian folk inspiration. There are three ingeniously constructed parts, with main and secondary themes that mingle in upward and downward musical lines. In our opinion, Sonatina for the left hand belongs to the category of great value works „composed by a number of eminent composers-pianists”. Lipatti demonstrates in this work a noble sensitivity accompanied by a profound knowledge of the compositional craft and expressive resources of the piano.