Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano, Bohuslav Martinu

Sonatina, Bohuslav Martinu. For Clarinette and Piano

The work is played as a single movement but consists of three well defined sections:

-Moderato
-Andante
-Poco allegro

The Sonatina reveals the influence of the neoclassicism of Francis Poulenc and Igor Stravinsky and the "rich palette of tone-colours" of Claude Debussy. It is filled with dance (polka) and march rhythms and virtuosic runs. Passages of a cheerful nature containing unexpected syncopations alternate with more earnest lyrical ones. In this music can be seen the composer's nostalgia for the happier, more productive time he had spent in Paris (19231940), years filled with spirited interactions with the group of "Les Six." Notwithstanding its elegance and finish, the music also embraces the passionate strength of his Czech roots.