“Sonata by Vojislav Ivanovic (Sarajevo), is a tour de force among tours de force. While it follows the classical sonata form, its rhytmic, melodic, and harmonic aspects reflect jazz and Balkan influences.” Celine Keating
“The Sonata by Ivanovic, written for and dedicated to Dukić himself, was full of unusual and riveting textures, explored a wide range of dynamics and moods, and was performed with a fantastic sense of drama.” Scott Cmiel
“I composed the sonata for solo guitar in 1981 and premiered it myself in 1984. Like many others, this composition went through several transformations, but the decisive moment was the collaboration with Zoran Dukic which brought it to its final form in 1999. The piece which follows the outline of the classical sonata is strongly influenced by the rhythmical, melodic and harmonic language of jazz and traditional Balkan music through a constant change of meter and shifting of accents. The first movement is in rather strict sonata form with two subjects; the first brisk and chromatic and the second loose and diatonic-modal. The second movement is a plaintive binary song built on two subjects, one a homophonic and mysterious chorale and the other a shepherd-like tune. The third movement originally had the subtitle Rondo alla Couperin, and it is a rondo with couplets, spiced with Balkan-like rhythms. That being said, I strongly believe that music should speak for itself, regardless of its possible complexity or simplicity, so I give it to the listeners with all the best of my heart.” Vojislav Ivanović