Author: Axel
Date: 2020-04-13 02:04
ruben: I own the CD by label "Marco Polo" with chamber music by Harold Truscott, recorded in 1994. The CD contains the first clarinet sonata with the Hungarian clarinettist Istvan Varga. I'll cite the detailed booklet text by Guy Rickards refering the 1st clarinet sonata:
"The Sonata No. 1 in C major for clarinet an piano was written in the summer of 1959, during a hiatus in the composition of the Eighth Piano Sonata, which was not completed until the following year. The composer provide a typically disarming description of the work:
"There is not a great deal to say about it. There are four movements: an opening sonata movement, Moderato, ma con moto, a very rapid scherzo, Allegro with no trio (it is again a sonata movement); a slow movement, Adagio ma con poco moto, which has two main tunes, both initially stated by the clarinet, the second leading to a clarinet cadenza and the first tune played by the piano alone. While working on the Adagio I happened one day to look through an old music manuscript notebook, most of the contents of which went back to the thirties. My eyes chanced to see an idea which I had at the time noted for possible symphony. I do not think it would ever have worked that way, but it suggested a flow that seemed right and so set off the Allegro finale of this sonata. "
The Firs Clarinet Sonata (two more were to follow, in 1965 an 1966) is without doubt one of Truscott's finest pieces, on a par with the best of his piano sonatas, such as Nos. 6, 8 and 9 which date from this period. There is a power and resource in the writing that few other sonatas for the instruments have achieved, yet the soloist is never overpowered by the at time thickly scored and full-bodied piano part. The music fits the clarinet like a glove - this is one sonata that would not transpose effectively to the viola. The Sonata was first performed in 1960 at a lunch time recital in Huddersfield by Rodney Bass with the composer accompanying."
By the way: Thank you all, for so much marvellous hints to worthful clarinet literature!
|
|
The Clarinet BBoard
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
