Content area
The Estonian composer Eugen Kapp (1908–1996), not well-known in the West, was an extremely productive and celebrated composer in Estonia and the former Soviet Union. During his career Eugen Kapp composed three pieces for violoncello including, the Sonata in C minor for cello and piano (1948), Romantic Waltz for cello and piano (1963), and Meditations for cello solo (1969). Eugen Kapp's Sonata in C minor for cello and piano, the focal point of this study, is one of but very few cello sonatas created in Soviet Estonia.
This study of Eugen Kapp's Sonata in C minor for cello and piano begins with a descriptive biography on the life and works of the composer. The biography focuses upon Kapp's various educational and political positions, his numerous honors and awards, his compositions, and the significance of his music in Estonia and the Soviet Union. A second portion of the biography contains information on the social, political and historical influences that surrounded Kapp while composing his Cello Sonata. The biography is followed by a stylistic analysis of the Cello Sonata that emphasizes the composer's compositional style in terms of melody, harmony, rhythm and form. The final chapter of the study addresses the pedagogical use of Kapp's Cello Sonata, suggestions to be considered when performing the work, and recommendations for related research. Appendix A contains a performance edition of Eugen Kapp's Sonata in C minor for cello and piano, created by the author of this study. Appendix B includes a list of all-known compositions by Eugen Kapp.