DONE! Sonata for Clarinet and Piano.

Thank you all for sticking with me through this. It took much longer than I anticipated. It is officially completed. The following is taken from the front materials for the Sonata. Please stay tuned for announcements regarding the world premiere!

PREFACE

 I spent decades as a college music theory teacher. In my courses I would impress on students the importance of form to Classical and Romantic composers and, more importantly, to their audiences. I would often remind them that the first act of composition is designing form. This work is designed in typical sonata form; a first movement in sonata allegro form (exposition, development, recapitulation), a second, scherzo movement in a da capo ternary form, a slow third movement in simple ternary, and a fourth movement rondo. This sonata is unique in two significant aspects: mathematically derived proportions, and the use of measured musical energy to delineate form.

 The formal divisions, or rather the duration of the sections between the formal divisions, are determined by the golden ratio or phi.

 The golden ratio occurs if the ratio of larger to the smaller quantity (in this case duration) is the same as the ratio of their sum to the larger of the two quantities. For the sake of identifying formal divisions, the delineation between segments is marked by the Greek letter phi (f). Using the golden ratio, each section of Sonata No. 1 is proportional to two smaller (shorter) constituent sections. This relationship is maintained from the entirety of the sonata though individual movements to the level of themes, developments, variations, and codas. Transitional passages are subsumed under the passage that proceeds them.  There are twenty-eight primary “phi points” in the sonata.

 These proportions exist at the movement level.

The duration of the combined first and second movements and the combined second and third movements are in the golden ration as compared to the duration of the complete sonata. Movements I and II form the same ratio when compared to their combined duration as do movements III and IV.

 This creates “phi points” at the junctures between each movement. These nested ratios also create symmetry between the durations of various segments. Note that movements II and IV are the same duration and movement I is the same duration of movements III and IV combined.

 It is also important to note that the longer of the constituent segments in the golden ratio does not always appear first. The durations of movements III and IV are in the golden ratio. This creates another type of symmetry in that the two fast movements (II and IV) are of equal duration and separated by the slow movement. The result is that movements II and III are also in the golden ratio. This mirroring of segments creates multiple instances of segments that are in the golden ratio with both of their adjacent segments.

The golden ratio proportions also exist within the discrete form of each movement. Movement I, Andante con moto is based on Classical sonata form. Note that the development is in the golden ratio with a total of four segments: exposition, 2nd theme group (exposition), 1st theme group (recapitulation), coda (non-adjacent).

The second movement, Allegro appassionato, is modeled on Classical and Romantic da capo scherzos—commonly including a fast A section and a slower B section—emulating the minuet and trio origins of the scherzo with a return (da capo) to the A section.

The third movement is a simple, slow ternary movement. It’s worth noting that all segments within movements II and III are in the golden ratio the adjacent segments on both sides.

The final movement is a hybrid of seven-part rondo and sectional variation technique. Each theme of this movement is derived from earlier movements.

Once the proportions of each movement were determined, the next step involved fixing the relative energy of each measure and mapping the changes in energy as a means of delineating the form. The chart to the left shows the change in energy superimposed of the diagram of the form.

THE CALCULATOR

Each second of the piece was assigned a relative energy level between 0 and 100. In the above graphic major peaks and valleys correspond to the formal divisions as determined by the proportions. The three horizontal lines within each of the four movements show the average energy, median energy, and the energy range (dynamism) of each discrete movement. The energy of each second of music was then mathematically adjusted until the energy average, median, and range approached each other so that no one aspect held an outsized influence on the relative shape and range of the energy.

 In devising this plan, it quickly became apparent that a reliable, objective method of measuring the energy at every point was required. This proved to be a complicated process. The answer was to set an energy goal for each measure using the values graphed above and gauge the energy of each measure of music using a series of 40+ questions regarding pitch, rhythm, dynamics, articulation and texture to determine the relative energy in each bar of music. It’s obvious that higher pitch, faster rhythm, and louder dynamic will result in more energy but determining the degree of change can get rather subjective. Harmonic tension is another contributor to the overall energy in music but the nonfunctional nature of the harmonic structures in this sonata makes measuring harmonic pull difficult as does context and other ineffable aesthetic qualities. While any attempt to design a calculator helps produce objective data there had to be built in calibration controls to account for the more ephemeral qualities inherent in any work of art. The resulting calculator—built in the Excel spreadsheet program—took months to develop into the interface page shown above. While I would not recommend using it to compare two different composers’ work or even two pieces by the same composer, it is a useful compositional tool and has changed my compositional style for the foreseeable future.

COMMISSION ACKNOWLEDGMENT

 Sonata No. 1 for Clarinet and Piano was written with generous contributions from the following:

SUNY Schenectady County Community College School of Music, Christopher Brellochs, Dean
Deborah Cardona
Joann Carlson
Joseph Clark
John Davis
Judith Dispenza
Bernice Dunn
Anna Fernald
Justin Hauser
Georgina Hosmer
Ian Kerr-Mace
Sally Knutson
Susan Kokernak
Charles Lenig
Rebecca MacVean
Amanda Meliosky
Margaret Nelson
Jeannette Storch
Julie Taylor
Ian Tyson
Jennifer Van Ort
John Van Voris
Steven Weisse
Cindy and Al Zielaskowski

Special thanks to Bixby Kennedy for his faith and patience and especially to my wife, Karen, for her ability to cheerfully listen to me blather on about this project for over two years.

DURATION: 28 minutes

NOTATION CONVENTIONS AND EXTENDED TECHNIQUES

 Rehearsal Marks

Many of the rehearsal marks in the score include the Greek letter phi A(ϕ). This indicates a formal division and is included so that the performers are aware of the overall structure of the piece as it may influence interpretation. No specific response is required, and the information is simply provided for the performer’s benefit.

 PIANO

 Desk Bells

The x notehead denotes one of two button-top desk bells (call bell or service bell), one at the right and one at the left. Place a desk bell on the right and left key blocks. Alternately, the desk bells may be placed on either side of the music rack. A non-skid material may be placed under the bells to assure they don’t slide and to protect the surface of the piano.

Muted Desk Bell

It should be assumed that all desk bell notes should be allowed to ring unless otherwise indicated. Muted desk bell notes—indicated by a plus (+) over an x notehead—are muted before they are played. Lightly touch edges of desk bell with thumb and ring finger while striking the button with the index finger. Produce a pitched percussive click. Mute just enough to prevent a clear, sustained ring. Don’t over mute. A plus (+) over the notehead indicates muting. A degree symbol (°) indicates open or unmuted. If there is no symbol over the notehead the desk bell should be played unmuted.

 Muted Strings

Firmly mute (+) strings with left hand just beyond the tuning pins. The music rack may limit the players access to the strings and this passage may require some choreography with a trusted page-turner. If the performers hands are not large enough to comfortably mute all four pitches in measures 39 and 42 of the fourth movement, the A-flat may be performed open. Notes marked with a degree symbol (°) are to remain open (unmuted).

CLARINET

Sympathetic Vibrations

At D(ϕ) in movement IV the clarinetist is instructed to “Play into piano as possible for sympathetic vibrations.” Later at measure 35 the instruction, “out of piano,” is indicated. This assumes the use a grand piano with the lid fully open and requires the clarinetist to play into strings to illicit sympathetic vibrations from the strings. It is essential that the pianist depress the sustain pedal as indicated throughout this passage.

 Barrel Pops

Barrel pops are ironically produced by removing the barrel and mouthpiece. The clarinet bell is placed between the legs on the seat of the chair. A padded seat is advised. The palm of the right hand strikes the open end of the top joint while the left-hand fingers the lower diamond shaped note.  The resulting pitch is notated above in a normal notehead. The notated pitches are in A transposition; they sound a minor third lower than written. The fingerings (lower diamond shaped noteheads) are designed for a Buffet R13 clarinet. Occasionally, specific fingerings are indicated when they deviate from the standard. Different models of clarinets may require different fingerings. The performer is encouraged to experiment to come as close as possible to the printed pitches. The performer should strive for the clearest, most resonant tone at all times.

Slap Tongue

The slap tongue should produce a clearly defined pitch and should not be a crass percussive effect.  The result should sound like a string pizzicato. The tongue covers a large portion of the reed creating suction and is sharply pulled down as in a velar click.

Doodle Tongue

Distinct from flutter tonguing, doodle tonguing is a technique that produces a gentle tremolo effect. The tongue should never touch the reed and moves up and down in front of the reed as if saying “duhdle-uhdle-uhdle” or “doodle-oodle-oodle”. The result should resemble a string tremolo. This effect is often used on trombone for moving notes.

Flutter Tongue

The flutter tongue effect may be produced with the tongue (alveolar trill) or the uvula (uvular flutter) but must not be a voiced growl. It is notated with a “z” through the stem to distinguish it from doodle tonguing.

Thanks again and check back for updates on the premiere!

Brett