Sonata for B-flat Clarinet & Piano (1966/2021)

Описание: Sonata for B-flat clarinet and piano (1966/2021) by Stephen Dankner. Performed by Michael Dee, clarinet; Robert Logan, piano.

I. Allegro (0:00)
II. Adagio (5:36)
III. Presto agitato e molto ritmico (12:10)

My Sonata for B-flat clarinet and piano was composed in 1966, when I was an undergraduate student of the esteemed American composer Paul Creston at the New York College of Music. Creston was especially known for his original conception of musical rhythm, which sought to integrate irregularities of metric organization – a stylistic feature of 20th century composition – by maintaining beat units within an unchanging original meter, as opposed to changing meters to accommodate irregular pulses with strong downbeats, which was the usual procedure followed by almost all 20th century composers.

My Sonata follows Creston’s rhythmic principles, with its often-shifting beats that extend both in and over the barline (measure), while maintaining a consistent, unchanging meter throughout in each of the work’s three movements.

Outside of rhythm, the overall form (fast-slow-fast movements) is standard, except that movement three has a slow middle section within its overall A-B-A structure; the outer “A”s theme is in the style of a tarantella/saltarello 6/8 meter. Harmonically, the first movement’s Allegro features modern jazz harmonies in the piano in a complex contrapuntal style against the clarinet’s saucy main theme. The movement gradually becomes more agitated and culminates in a faster, driving final cadence. The second movement is a lyrical, rhapsodic ballad for the clarinet that also has an agitated middle section, though the tension dissipates and the movement ends calmly, as it began.

In 2021, I rewrote the concluding section of movement three, bringing back the main theme of the first movement as a curtailed clarinet cadenza. The Sonata ends quietly, after so much activity, in a fade out, with the clarinet holding its lowest note, a concert “D” against the piano’s long-held bass not G – the beginning key center of the first movement.

This Sonata, composed 60 years ago(!) is the oldest composition of all the works on my YouTube channel.

I owe many thanks for this outstanding performance to the artistry of clarinetist Michael Dee and pianist Robert Logan. They have brought this Sonata back to life, as it has not been performed since its premiere at The Juilliard School in 1968.

Program note by Stephen Dankner

Score/part available from www.stephendankner.com.