Sonata opus 35 (for clarinet and piano)

Wow your quite the composer cowboy, only listened to the 3rd movement, loved the clarinet entrance beautiful!

Howdy howdy!

I was just wondering if you put the scores up in the thread and I missed them? I'd very much like to see them.

Anyway, onto my comments:

Overall, I disagree with the people saying that this music isn't modern enough. It's a little on the conservative side, but having a tonal center and listenable music is nothing to be ashamed of. Listenable, accessible music with artistic merit (a category this piece falls under) is en vogue at the moment as I'm sure you know. Looking at composers like Christopher Theofanidis, Jennifer Higdon, John Corigiliano or even some of my professors like Reza Vali and Nancy Galbraith, you hear music that is not only deeep and academic, but music that is enjoyable on top of it, and if we as composers want to keep our relevance in a world that is becoming less and less condusive to our art, we should keep making music that people not only want to analyze, but music that people want to listen to. For that, I commend you.

As for the individual sections:

First section: I thought that you had some very nice ideas as far as the rhythmic motives and melodic themes were concerned, but, as it's been said I felt that the piece needed to go somewhere that it didn't. It's a wash of music that is fun to listen to for a while, and while it doesn't get tedious, it toes the line. That's not to say that I didn't like the movement, but that I do believe that it's a little too long while staying a little too homogenous.

Second section: I usually have a hard time focusing on the slow and lyrical second movements of pieces, but this held my interest. The melody was interesting and I have to agree there were more than a few "moments" in the piece that simultaneously surprised me and took my breath away. I live for moments like those, but I only wish that you'd have let them linger a little bit more before going into the next idea.

Also I was impressed by your transitions up to the recapitulation which seemed a little more sudden than the rest which seemed much more organic.

Third section: I was really pleased with the opening. I truly believe that in every sonata the piano should have a couple moments to itself to not only break up the monotony of a solo featured instrument, but as a nod to the accompanist and because we all know just how lovely a piano can be. Your melody surprised me a few times - not jarring mind you, just something I didn't expect - which was great because it keeps the piece lively and interesting. I think that you kept your variations interesting enough to keep yourself from being hindered by your Ronde form (and I thought the recapitulation (coda?) at the end was clever and succinct. Good job!) All in all I really enjoyed this movement, but were I to rank them it'd go 2, 3, 1.

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This is a fine piece. You made a few choices I probably would not have, but of course we are two different composers and that's what keeps your pieces interesting!

I'm going to continue looking for your scores because I'd like to write something like this (stylistically and just as a reference tool for good clarinet writing.) Can't wait to see them!

Thank-you for your detailed comments Mike (psych. ward???).

Premiere will be Wednesday, June 4th 2008. The clarinetist is François Lebrun, who will be accompanied at the piano by Michael Baskin.

The programme is as follows:
my Sonata
Michael Baskin: Impressions pour clarinette basse (premiere)

intermission
Léo Weiner: Peregi Verbunk
Milton Barnes: Jewish Dances
Claude Debussy: Petite Pièce
Alan Belkin: Sonate pour clarinette (premiere)


Much of the same concert programme will possibly be repeated in late August with a different clarinetist, and almost definately again in October. My librarian/researcher and I are heading off tomorrow to do some research on 18th and 19th century Canadian music for clarinet, so I may have more news on the subsequant concerts' programmes later this week.

To those who enjoyed this piece, thank-you.
To those who did not, well, (phblllllllllt!)

Man, I wish I could download your music, reading all the critics in this topic. But I'm at my work right now, so that's a bit of a problem.

I'm searching something to play on my clarinet with piano. Reading this topic I somehow think it might be something I like. I like to find the underlaying music between the notes and what's important characterplay and direction in a piece.

Could you post a first page or something on PDF? I'm curious...