Sonata for Clarinet and Piano (Bernstein)

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Clarinet Sonata
by Leonard Bernstein
The composer in 1944
Composed1941 (1941)–1942
DedicationDavid Oppenheim
Published1942 (1942)
Movementstwo

clarinetist David Oppenheim, whom Bernstein met while studying conducting with Serge Koussevitzky at Tanglewood
during the summers of 1940 and 1941.

Form

The piece is about ten minutes in length and consists of two consecutive movements. The first movement is a lyrical grazioso, opening with a musical line reminiscent of

West Side Story, with a walking bass line and syncopations.[4] Later the more reflective mood of the first movement recurs, with a Latin-infused bridge passage that reflected the time Bernstein spent in Key West in the early compositional stages, before finishing in a flourish.[3]

Premiere

The premiere took place at the Institute of Modern Art in Boston, performed by David Glazer on clarinet and a then 23-year-old Leonard Bernstein on piano.[5] The New York premiere took place a year later at the New York Public Library, with Bernstein again on piano and Oppenheim on clarinet. The two later released the first recording of the work, also in 1943.[6]

Reception

Now a popular piece in the clarinet repertoire, featured on the

The Boston Herald reviewed the premiere. Though the former praised its jazz inflections, both felt the composing was stronger for the piano than for the clarinet. Many early reviews alluded to the influences of Hindemith and Copland and were very mixed. By the end of 1943, though, Bernstein had become a conducting star through his work with the New York Philharmonic and subsequent reviews were more positive and the jazz aspects were frequently referred to positively.[6]

The sonata is now a part of the standard repertoire for clarinet and others outside of the clarinet world have embraced the piece. In 1994 it was orchestrated by Sid Ramin so that it can be played by a solo clarinet with orchestral accompaniment.[7] Yo-Yo Ma has arranged this work for cello and piano.[8] It has also been arranged for both violin[9] and trombone.

Bernstein later returned to composing for the clarinet in 1949, when he composed

Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs for Solo Clarinet and Jazz Ensemble, dedicated to Benny Goodman
.

References

  1. ^ "Leonard Bernstein - Sonata for Clarinet and Piano (1941-42) [Score-Video]". YouTube. 13 April 2018.
  2. ^ "Leonard Bernstein Timeline". The Library of Congress.
  3. ^ a b "Program Notes, Chamber Music Society of Detroit" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-10-02. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
  4. ^ "Richard Stoltzman Copland Clarinet Concerto RCA B000003FJP". Liner notes by John Wiser (1993). 1993.
  5. ^ "A Leonard Bernstein Timeline". LeonardBernstein.com.
  6. ^
    ISBN 9780549583295
    .
  7. ^ "Leonard Bernstein Clarinet Sonata (Orchestral Version)". Boosey & Hawkes.
  8. ^ "Yo-Yo Ma Made in America". Amazon. 1993.
  9. ^ "Leonard Bernstein Violin Sonata". Amazon. 2010.
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