Work : Sonata for Two Clarinets
Composer : Francis Poulenc https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Poulenc
Difficulty Ranking : V
Publisher : Chester; Masters
Date Written : 1918
Instrumentation : 1st part: Bb clarinet, 2nd part: A clarinet
Potential Pedagogical Applications : Challenging passage work, intonation between Bb and A clarinet, large leaps on A clarinet, and matching articulation and note length
Sample Recording : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7EqTJBjbaM
Where to Purchase Sheet Music : First Edition available on IMSLP http://imslp.org/wiki/Sonata_for_Two_Clarinets,_FP_7_(Poulenc,_Francis)
Annotation : The Sonata for Two Clarinets is a challenging work for Bb and A clarinet duo. The work is idiomatic of Poulenc featuring many of the qualities of his other works for wind instruments such as double-dotted rhythms, 32nd notes, and leaping melodic lines. Each part offers a different set of challenges. The Bb part stretches the range and technical capacity of the player, whereas the A part requires the player be familiar with the difference in resistance of the A clarinet. There are places of challenging passage work that have extreme leaps. An additional challenge for the Bb player is the second movement’s long melodic line. It will push the endurance of the player and tempo selection is crucial.
