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The modern idea of the clarinet sonata didn’t appear until the end of the 18th Century, but since then, many significant works have emerged for it.
From Bernstein’s tapestry-like Sonata for Clarinet and Piano to Berg’s intricate Four Pieces for Clarinet and Piano, the clarinet sonata has been used as a truly wide canvas to explore the expressive possibilities of the clarinet.
Let’s jump in!
1. Leonard Bernstein - Sonata for Clarinet and Piano
Leonard Bernstein composed his Clarinet Sonata in 1942-1941, just after a conducting session at Tanglewood where he met the piece’s dedicatee, clarinetist David Oppenheim.
The duo would go on to premiere the sonata several times on the U.S. East Coast, giving notable premieres in Boston and New York, and the work would eventually be recorded by them.
In its 10 minutes and 2 movements, Bernstein composes a tapestry not only of orchestration but of influences as well. The first movement carries a strong association with Hindemith, and the second has a large Copland influence, but both feel connected to Bernstein’s roots as a musician.
The piece’s heavy reliance on walking bass lines and mixed meter feel very connected to his broader outlet, foreshadowing the sound that would define his infamous West Side Story.
While the piano writing itself is pretty stand-out, the clarinet feature has gone on to join the standard clarinet repertoire. This is a must-know piece when understanding the scope of solo clarinet repertoire and the clarinet sonata genre.
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2. Johannes Brahms - Clarinet Sonata in E-Flat Major, Op. 120 No. 2
Both of Johannes Brahms’ Clarinet Sonatas in E-flat Major, Op. 120 were seminal in developing the modern idea of the clarinet sonata.
These works emerged at the very end of Brahms’ life, and would be the last chamber works he wrote before his passing in 1897.
Before their composition, chamber clarinet repertoire was not very well developed. Brahms would end up finding a fixation on the timbral qualities of the clarinet at the end of his life, and led to the composition of these sonatas as well as his Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115. This fixation came from an encounter Brahms had with the German clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld, whom Brahms referred to as the greatest wind player in the world.
Both of these pieces are renowned for their expert integration of the clarinet’s characteristic sound into the sonata form, but the second sonata has stood out for its utter beauty and musical narrative.
Its four movements are rooted in the sonata form genre, but the dialogue and harmonic development is itself extremely developed and worthy of its spot as one of the most important clarinet sonatas ever written.
3. Camille Saint-Saëns - Clarinet Sonata, Op. 167
Another late-career work that left a substantial impact on the standard clarinet repertoire is the Saint-Saëns Clarinet Sonata.
The origin of this piece, similar to Brahms, was inspired by the fascination of instruments not commonly written for in chamber settings.
Saint-Saëns notably said in a letter to his friend, “At the moment I am concentrating my last reserves on giving rarely considered instruments the chance to be heard.”
Throughout the 4 movements of his clarinet sonata, Saint-Saëns writes some of the most beautiful and lyrical melodies found in the clarinet repertoire. His use of the clarinet’s vast range is very dynamic and gives the instrument a lot of room to show off.
The piece in its entirety can be seen as quite sing-songy, and will leave audiences humming the piece’s melodies for the rest of the day.
If you’re a clarinetist looking wondering how to approach learning this piece, Anna Hashimoto offers deep insights into this sonata in her course available on tonebase Clarinet:
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4. Felix Mendelssohn - Clarinet Sonata in E-Flat Major
Jumping to an early-career work, Mendelssohn composed his Clarinet Sonata in E-Flat Major at just 15 years old. However, this would be the first foray into the clarinet, the only solo wind instrument he ever wrote for.
The 3-movement sonata is full of all of the Mendelssohn characteristics you’d expect - the early Romantic harmonic sensibilities while holding onto the formalities of the Classical Era.
The clarinet writing itself doesn’t necessarily push the instrument to the limit, but rather offers a deep melodic basis throughout.
Despite Mendelssohn’s young age, this work has nonetheless gone on to be one of the most important works for the clarinet from the 19th Century.
5. Robert Schumann – Drei Fantasiestücke Op. 73
Jumping only 30 years into the future, Schumann’s Drei Fantasiestücke (Three Fantasies) feels much more modern in its harmonic and developmental material.
The clarinet and piano overlap in a very oceanic way, and even in the fast-paced third movement, there is a very natural synergy between the instruments.
The three pieces were inspired by the writing of E.T.A. Hoffmann, and are named as such:
- Zart und mit Ausdruck (Tender and with expression)
- Lebhaft leicht (Lively, light)
- Rasch und mit Feuer (Quick and with fire)
This piece never loses its cohesion, and the clarinet part maintains it’s beautiful lyricality at all times, playing out more like a conversation with the piano than a strictly feature/accompaniment situation.
6. Alban Berg - Four Pieces for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 13
Alban Berg’s Four Pieces for Clarinet and Piano are full of emptiness, but this is not for nothing.
Berg’s style has become known for a pointillistic approach to composition and a refinement of the philosophies of the Second Viennese School, and everything that made his music important and emotionally convincing is present in these works.
Every musical gesture is very exposed - almost like Berg is framing each moment for the listener to soak up without distraction.
These pieces are extremely emblematic of Berg’s “miniature” pieces he frequently wrote, and each often feel like a brief foray into a handful of ideas before moving onto the next miniature.
Because of this high degree of exposure, the clarinet part requires a high degree of control, making this anything but an easy piece.
Despite its high degree of exposure, many sections contain some of the most intense moments in the standard clarinet repertoire.
Approaching this piece requires a great sense of control and intuition of Berg’s style, but performed effectively, it can be a truly captivating performance for all audiences.
7. Francis Poulenc - Sonata for Clarinet and Piano
Francis Poulenc’s Sonata for Clarinet and Piano is one of the last works the composer wrote, and while most of Poulenc’s most treasured works come from the earlier half of the 20th Century, his clarinet sonata feels grounded in the musical landscape of the early 1960s yet holds onto the harmonic language well associated with him.
It was commissioned by infamous clarinetist Benny Goodman, who intended to premiere the work with Poulenc at the piano, but didn’t get a chance to before Poulenc passed away due to a heart attack.
The work is known for its challenging clarinet writing, but the writing makes that challenge a fun one. A successful performance of this sonata on the clarinet is quite compelling, and it really does give the clarinetist an opportunity to show off the wide range of the instrument’s expressive capabilities.
Clarinetist Yoonah Kim offers performance insight into this work in her tonebase course on the Poulenc Clarinet Sonata:
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8. Paul Hindemith - Clarinet Sonata
If Hindemith is associated with anything, his affinity for writing compelling sonatas for underrepresented instruments might be up there with (or connected to) his Gebrauchsmusik notion.
His neo-Classical tastes are evident in this work, but he doesn’t hold back in making this piece sound completely and utterly “Hindemith” in both his harmony and his counterpoint.
There’s a lot of motivic manipulation and variation in this work, as he constantly binds both the pianist and clarinetist to intervallic motifs that flip and expand in all directions.
Each movement also exhibits a different approach to expressiveness on the clarinet, and a full performance of the work almost feels like a tour through the various characters of the clarinet.
9. Darius Milhaud: Sonatina for clarinet and piano, Op. 100
Darius Milhaud’s 1927 work Sonatina for clarinet and piano is bold, daring, and doesn’t hold back one bit.
It’s a melting pot of cultural and musical influences, but also packs a punch with the detailed yet evocative writing in both the piano and the clarinet.
The first and third movements are titled Trés rude (very rough/harsh), and this does come across in that the piece in its entirety is characteristically a bit “unhinged”.
The clarinet and piano frequently spiral into a chaotic flurry of notes, and these moments give the work almost an improvisatory quality. Given the influence jazz and Brazilian music had on the composer, this does seem fitting.
From the clarinetist’s perspective, it’s an exhilarating work worth paying close attention to.
10. Sergei Prokofiev: Sonata in D major, Op. 94
Originally written for flute, Sergei Prokofiev’s Sonata in D major has become cherished by clarinetists for its high level of compatibility with the instrument and overall ease of interpretation.
Composed in 1947 while an evacuee in Tbilisi during the Nazi invasion of the USSR, Prokofiev’s then-flute sonata was the start of a new era for the composer.
Since its wide-spread acclaim from flutists, clarinetists have adopted the work to be an important part of the clarinet repertoire.
It manages to be just as expressive for the clarinet as it is for the flute, each instrument highlighting different qualities of the melodic writing in a fascinating and beautiful way.
Conclusion
The clarinet sonata has an incredibly versatile sound, and it is no surprise that so many of the most important composers of the last few hundred years have taken a stark interest in it.
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