Sonata for Clarinet (Cage)
Encyclopedia
Sonata for Clarinet is an early work by John Cage
, composed in 1933. It is also known under its early title, Sonata for One Voice.
(Nicholls 2002, 63). Buhlig convinced Cage to send the Sonata, as well as some other pieces, to Henry Cowell
for publication in New Music; thus it became Cage's earliest published piece. Cowell later suggested that the Sonata be performed at a New Music Society of California workshop in San Francisco. When Cage arrived, it turned out the clarinetist couldn't play the piece, and Cage had to play it himself, on piano (Nicholls 1990, 176). Cage also tried to get a Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra clarinetist to play the sonata, but the clarinetist refused on aesthetic grounds (Kostelanetz 2003, 103). Later in life, Cage made some revisions and the sonata was finally published by Edition Peters, Cage's principal publisher, in 1963. Although he disliked some of his early works, he considered the Sonata, according to a late interview, "very interesting" (Duckworth 1999, 8).
The first movement is influenced by twelve-tone technique
, but is not bound by its formal procedures: there is no row
in the strict sense of the word, but the music is based on retrograde
s of various melodic and rhythmic fragments. For example, the contents of bars 1–2 is presented in retrograde in bars 20–21, with the same rhythm, and similar symmetries and transformations inform the entire movement (Nicholls 2002, 64).
By contrast, the second movement uses the tone row technique in a much more strict manner, although still only marginally related to Schoenberg
's method. It begins with the various forms of the row following one another in close succession: prime
(bars 1–5), transposed
(bars 5–9), retrograde (bars 10–12). Bars 12–19 are filled with fragments from each of the three used forms, and the movement ends with the retrograde inversion
(bars 20–24). The last notes repeat (pitch-wise) the ones from bar 5, where the prime form overlapped with the transposed form (Nicholls 2002, 63–64).
The third movement is an exact pitch retrograde of the first.
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde...
, composed in 1933. It is also known under its early title, Sonata for One Voice.
History
The piece was created in 1933 (the first and last movements composed on September 3 and 5, respectively) while Cage was studying music with Richard BuhligRichard Buhlig
Richard Buhlig was an American pianist.Buhlig was born in Chicago, where he received his early training. In 1897 he moved to Vienna to study under Teodor Leszetycki. Upon completing his studies in 1900, he gave his first public concert in 1901 in Berlin, and toured extensively in Europe until late...
(Nicholls 2002, 63). Buhlig convinced Cage to send the Sonata, as well as some other pieces, to Henry Cowell
Henry Cowell
Henry Cowell was an American composer, music theorist, pianist, teacher, publisher, and impresario. His contribution to the world of music was summed up by Virgil Thomson, writing in the early 1950s:...
for publication in New Music; thus it became Cage's earliest published piece. Cowell later suggested that the Sonata be performed at a New Music Society of California workshop in San Francisco. When Cage arrived, it turned out the clarinetist couldn't play the piece, and Cage had to play it himself, on piano (Nicholls 1990, 176). Cage also tried to get a Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra clarinetist to play the sonata, but the clarinetist refused on aesthetic grounds (Kostelanetz 2003, 103). Later in life, Cage made some revisions and the sonata was finally published by Edition Peters, Cage's principal publisher, in 1963. Although he disliked some of his early works, he considered the Sonata, according to a late interview, "very interesting" (Duckworth 1999, 8).
Analysis
The Sonata is scored for a solo clarinet in B-flat. There are no dynamics, articulation or phrasing indications (Nicholls 1990, 176). Overall, the style is, in the words of Cage scholar James Pritchett, "chromatic, rhythmically complex, and unmetrical." (Pritchett 1993, 7). There are three movements:- Vivace
- Lento
- Vivace
The first movement is influenced by twelve-tone technique
Twelve-tone technique
Twelve-tone technique is a method of musical composition devised by Arnold Schoenberg...
, but is not bound by its formal procedures: there is no row
Tone row
In music, a tone row or note row , also series and set, refers to a non-repetitive ordering of a set of pitch-classes, typically of the twelve notes in musical set theory of the chromatic scale, though both larger and smaller sets are sometimes found.-History and usage:Tone rows are the basis of...
in the strict sense of the word, but the music is based on retrograde
Permutation (music)
In music, a permutation of a set is any ordering of the elements of that set. Different permutations may be related by transformation, through the application of zero or more of certain operations, such as transposition, inversion, retrogradation, circular permutation , or multiplicative operations...
s of various melodic and rhythmic fragments. For example, the contents of bars 1–2 is presented in retrograde in bars 20–21, with the same rhythm, and similar symmetries and transformations inform the entire movement (Nicholls 2002, 64).
By contrast, the second movement uses the tone row technique in a much more strict manner, although still only marginally related to Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg was an Austrian composer, associated with the expressionist movement in German poetry and art, and leader of the Second Viennese School...
's method. It begins with the various forms of the row following one another in close succession: prime
Set (music)
A set in music theory, as in mathematics and general parlance, is a collection of objects...
(bars 1–5), transposed
Transposition (music)
In music transposition refers to the process, or operation, of moving a collection of notes up or down in pitch by a constant interval.For example, one might transpose an entire piece of music into another key...
(bars 5–9), retrograde (bars 10–12). Bars 12–19 are filled with fragments from each of the three used forms, and the movement ends with the retrograde inversion
Retrograde inversion
Retrograde inversion is a musical term that literally means "backwards and upside down": "The inverse of the series is sounded in reverse order." This is a technique used in music, specifically in twelve-tone technique, where the inversion and retrograde techniques are performed on the same tone...
(bars 20–24). The last notes repeat (pitch-wise) the ones from bar 5, where the prime form overlapped with the transposed form (Nicholls 2002, 63–64).
The third movement is an exact pitch retrograde of the first.
External links
- Sonata for Clarinet data sheet and discography at the John Cage database