by BENJAMIN J. DALE i. Allegro deciso ; 2. Slow movement (Theme and Variations 1-4)-
Scherzo (Variations 5-7)—Finale : Molto allegro played by FRANK MERRICK (pianoforte)
It was once claimed for Benjamin Dale that he had written ' fewer and better works than any English composer of his generation '. His exceptional fastidiousness has prevented publication of all but his finest compositions, and it is characteristic that, although he began his career at fifteen with the ' Horatius ' Overture of 1900, his opus-numbers have still (we believe) not yet reached twenty.
This Piano Sonata, his first published work and one of the most remarkable Opus Ones ever written, was an astounding feat for a seventeen-year-old student. Even the form is unusual: a normal first movement, followed by a set of variations which constitute slow movement, scherzo, and finale.