Sonata for Alto Clarinet and Piano, Op. 72 (2016)

Program Notes:

At some point, Evan Ritter and I conceived of the idea of producing an album of music for alto clarinet, as we figured hardly anyone had done anything like that. However, much as one might imagine, there is not much quality repertoire for alto clarinet. Sibley Music Library, the largest music library in North America, has but five pieces for alto clarinet and piano in its collection, only one of which we deemed to be musically viable. While we have been able to gather some other music from disparate sources (including library archives and Norway), I was inspired to write my own sonata for alto clarinet and piano. I'm not sure why I've avoided the genre of the clarinet sonata for so long - I was about to offer a "perhaps" statement here, but then I realised I simply don't know. That said, I have finally embraced it! The sonata is not meant to be programmatic in any respect. I gradually began to conceive of it as an "off" sonata - an instrumental sonata someone might write after having heard just a half-hour lecture about tonal theory and how an instrumental sonata is usually constructed. Lots of traditional elements are present. The form of the first movement is a fairly straightforward sonata form, but with material one might more often find in a rondo. The second movement is perhaps "slow" in tempo, but the mood is one that would never be found in a classical sonata. The final movement is, as expected, a rondo (with an appropriately cheesy rondo theme) - but its contrasting sections do their description justice. Regardless of any scholarly interest the above might have, the ultimate aim of this sonata is to expand the literature for alto clarinet and to begin helping to legitimize it as a solo instrument. Also, of course, the ultimate aim is to have fun making music.