Clarinet Sonata (Howells)

Clarinet Sonata (Howells)

Herbert Howells's sonata for the clarinet in A in two movements was written in 1946. It was written for British clarinet player Frederick Thurston and was the composer's last major chamber work.[1]

The music is typical of Howells's improvised sound world and is technically challenging, with sweeping arpeggiated figurations. The piece is also available transcribed for the B♭ clarinet from Boosey and Hawkes's music archive.

It has been conjectured that the work is based on a sonata written for oboe, but withdrawn following criticisms by its original dedicatee, Léon Goossens.[2]

The two movements have the main tempo indications:

  1. Con moto, dolce e con tenerezza
  2. Allegro, ritmico, con brio

Notes

  1. ^ "Robert Plane - Discography". http://www.robertplane.com/discography.asp. Retrieved 2007-01-02. 
  2. ^ "Review of a recording of the Howells Clarinet Sonata". http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/Jan05/Howells_quintet.htm. Retrieved 2007-01-02. 

References