Sonatine for Flute and Piano

The Sonatine for Flute and Piano is an early work by the 20th-century French composer Henri Dutilleux, composed and published in 1943.[1] It lasts about 9 minutes and consists of three movements, played without break.

Sonatine for Flute and Piano
by Henri Dutilleux
Composed1943 (1943)
Published1943
Movementsthree

Overview

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The Sonatine for Flute and Piano is one of a series of four test pieces for the Paris Conservatoire that Dutilleux wrote between 1942 and 1951. They were commissioned by then-director Claude Delvincourt. These pieces were intended both to test the technique of the students and provide them with new scores.[2]

Dutilleux was notoriously critical of his early works, including the Sonatine. He once stated that he had never been completely happy that it was played so often[3] but he never withdrew it.

... the flute piece is the Sonatine for Flute and Piano, which has been recorded many times abroad, although I have never wanted it to be recorded in France because it doesn’t yet sound really like my music. But I haven’t put any embargo on that.[2][4]

The work has become a standard of the flute repertoire[2] and has been performed many times by flautists such as Sharon Bezaly, James Strauss and Emmanuel Pahud. As of 2014, it is Dutilleux's most often recorded work.[5]

Music

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The sonatine is structured in 3 sections played without a break.[6]

The first section features a mysterious theme in 7
8
contrasting with jagged piano figures. It concludes with a cadenza that provides a transition to the lyrical second section. The last section features rapid exchanges between the flute and the piano before another short but difficult cadenza recalls the themes heard before. A frenzied accelerando played by both instruments concludes the piece.[6]

Structure

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  1. Allegretto
  2. Andante
  3. Animé

References

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  1. ^ "Sonatina for flute & piano". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
  2. ^ a b c "Remembering Henri Dutilleux (1916-2013)". 31 May 2013.
  3. ^ "Henri Dutilleux se raconte". Archived from the original on 2014-11-21. Retrieved 2014-11-21.
  4. ^ Interview with author Claude Glayman (1977)
  5. ^ "Store closed | Classical Music | ArkivMusic".
  6. ^ a b http://www.eclassical.com/shop/17115/art10/4940010-9eda5e-809730512629.pdf [bare URL PDF]