The Cimmerian Darkness Sonata - Movement 1

The Cimmerian Darkness Sonata is a three-movement sonata that is written to depict my experience with mental health struggles. And more specifically, my struggles with my three mental illnesses: major depressive disorder, social anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); with each movement representing a different mental illness. The name of the overall piece is based on the Cimmerian people from Homer's, The Odyssey; specifically book 11, "The Kingdom of the Dead". The Odyssey describes the Cimmerian as a place of perpetual darkness, clouded in mist and clouds, never being able to see any sunshine. Each movement is inspired by a different classical piece written for solo piano, and I will state where my inspiration came from. Movement one, Wretched Ruminations, is based on major depressive disorder, with inspiration from movement one of Beehtoven's Moonlight Sonata. This movement is written to not be a very technical piece per se, but to be very demanding in terms of the emotion that needs to be in this piece. Movement two, Blemished Marrow, is based on social anxiety, with inspiration from Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy. This piece is written as a theme and variations to represent how social anxiety (at least mine) masks itself as your "healthy" brain trying to help you, but it's always just your anxiety. And Movement three, Mangled Recollections, is based on my PTSD, with inspiration from Scherzo No. 2 in C minor by Clara Schumann. My PTSD was very aggressive and always present. And that is represented by the constant and aggressive nature of my PTSD. This piece is meant to highlight my experience with mental illness; so this piece may not encapsulate everyone else's experiences. I hope you enjoy this piece!