Poulenc - Clarinet and Oboe Sonatas

Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) was a largely self-taught French composer who, in his youth, was a member of the group known as Les Six - composers who reacted against the musical direction taken by those such as Wagner. Considered as a rather lightweight, or humourous composer in the beginning, Poulenc's output nevertheless included concertos and choral music, and three operas.

Francis Poulenc

Chamber and instrumental music was also central in Poulenc's compositions, and the two sonatas here come from the year before his death.

The Clarinet Sonata was dedicated to his friend from Les Six, Arthur Honneger. and commissioned by Benny Goodman, who was to give the first performance in New York with Poulenc himself at the piano. However Poulenc died before this took place, and the premiere in April 1963 was given by Goodman with Leonard Bernstein. Had I known about the sonata's history as a young clarinet player back in the day, I might have practised more, and fully mastered the high register high jinks of the finale's tongue- and finger-twisting closing pages.

The Oboe Sonata also dates from 1962, and it is dedicated to Sergei Prokofiev. Sharing thematic elements with the Clarinet Sonata, it has an unusual slow-fast-slow movement scheme, and the final Lament is sometimes considered as Poulenc's own obituary to himself.

These performances come from a 1973 Pathé Marconi recording issued as a two disc set of sonatas, which in turn was taken from a four disc set of chamber music from La Voix De Son Maître (French HMV).

Cartridge: Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC Star

Phono amp: Graham Slee Accession MC with Enigma power supply

Turntable: CTC Classic 301 / SME M2-12-R