Schmonzcast #10: Eight interrelated pieces comprise the “Forgotten Melodies” of Medtner's Op. 38 (1918-1920). The first — by far the largest of the set, and the source of much of its thematic material — is a sonata, the tenth of the composer's fourteen for the piano. It wouldn't be a proper Medtner sonata without a sequence in which the normally distinct themes sing simultaneously and harmoniously; typically near the end, in this single movement it's right around the halfway point, cauterizing the first burst of violence with its serene contrapuntal beauty. As I've written before, this piece holds great personal significance for me, so it was very special to be able to perform Medtner's Sonata-Reminiscenza, Op. 38 No. 1 for the Rachmaninoff Society in September, at Yamaha Artist Services in midtown Manhattan. Here is that performance.