The premiere of Francis Poulenc's Sonata for Clarinet and Piano took place on April 10, 1963, with Benny Goodman on clarinet and Leonard Bernstein at the piano. But what was originally to be the premiere of a piece in memoriam— the work bears the dedication "to the memory of Arthur Honegger”—turned out to be an in memoriam performance for Poulenc himself.He died suddenly of a heart attack in January of that year, just shy of his 63rd birthday. "His death is a disaster for music and for personal friendship," lamented Jean Cocteau; "Poulenc had inherited Ravel's mantle," commented Ned Rorem, "and today, in leaving us, he has taken with him the best of what remained in musical France."
Perhaps some of those in attendance at the premiere of the Sonata for Clarinet and Piano heard a musical self-eulogy, a documentary looking backwards through Poulenc's musical career. The religious devotion of his maturity finds expression in the first two movements, while in the third, Poulenc returns to the devil-may-care style of his youth.Notes by All Music Guide to Classical Music: The Definitive Guide to Classical Music
Classical Music | Clarinet Music
Francis Poulenc
Sonata for Clarinet and Piano Play
Recorded on 12/17/2014, uploaded on 04/30/2015
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
The premiere of Francis Poulenc's Sonata for Clarinet and Piano took place on April 10, 1963, with Benny Goodman on clarinet and Leonard Bernstein at the piano. But what was originally to be the premiere of a piece in memoriam— the work bears the dedication "to the memory of Arthur Honegger”—turned out to be an in memoriam performance for Poulenc himself. He died suddenly of a heart attack in January of that year, just shy of his 63rd birthday. "His death is a disaster for music and for personal friendship," lamented Jean Cocteau; "Poulenc had inherited Ravel's mantle," commented Ned Rorem, "and today, in leaving us, he has taken with him the best of what remained in musical France."
Perhaps some of those in attendance at the premiere of the Sonata for Clarinet and Piano heard a musical self-eulogy, a documentary looking backwards through Poulenc's musical career. The religious devotion of his maturity finds expression in the first two movements, while in the third, Poulenc returns to the devil-may-care style of his youth. Notes by All Music Guide to Classical Music: The Definitive Guide to Classical Music
More music by Francis Poulenc
Sonata for Flute and Piano
Sonata for Cello and Piano
Hommage à Edith Piaf
Piano Concerto in C sharp minor, FP 146
Three Novelettes for piano
Mon cadavre est doux comme un gant, from Fiançailles pour rire
Les soirées de Nazelles
Fiançailles pour Rire
Les chemins de l'amour
Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra
Performances by same musician(s)
Clarinet Sonata in E-flat Major, Op.167
Ingenuidad
Classical Music for the Internet Era™
Courtesy of International Music Foundation.