Description
Poulenc Sonata for Flute and Piano
Poulenc Sonata for Flute and Piano
Publisher-Chester Music
Two versions are available
- Flute and Piano Parts
- Flute and Piano with Audio Download Card (revised edition 1994 / Includes audio demonstration and accompaniment tracks)
About
The much-loved sonata for flute and piano by Poulenc was written in 1959-57 and has remained a favourite choice for recital programmes. In 1994, Carl Schmidt revised the edition of the Sonata for flute and piano. This edition includes an in-depth account of the editorial process in English, French and German.
The Flute Sonata is an elegant and beautiful chamber work comprising three contrasting movements, exploring both ethereal and energetic moods.
The initial movement establishes an elegant and elegiac atmosphere, showcasing the composer’s poignant intentions. In the second movement, the flute takes centre stage, weaving a haunting and melodic cantilena that lingers in the air. The finale, characterised by its brisk tempo and technical intricacies, concludes the piece with a lively and spirited flair.
It was commissioned by the American Library of Congress and dedicated to the memory of Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, a notable patron of chamber music. Poulenc, known for his affinity for woodwind instruments, premiered the sonata in June 1957 at the Strasbourg Music Festival, performing alongside flautist Jean-Pierre Rampal. The piece quickly gained popularity and became a staple of the 20th-century flute repertoire, praised for its bittersweet grace, wit, irony, and sentiment, which were characteristic of Poulenc’s style.
In 1976, composer Lennox Berkeley created an orchestrated version of the sonata, further contributing to its recognition. The Flute Sonata remains one of Poulenc’s most performed and beloved woodwind works.
Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc
Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) was a French composer and pianist who made significant contributions to French music. Poulenc wrote an array of chamber music, solo piano works, operas, orchestral music, and ballet amongst other works.
In 1920, the critic Henri Collet grouped Poulenc together with five other young French composers, who collectively came to be known as “Les Six.” This group included Arthur Honegger, Darius Milhaud, Georges Auric, Germaine Tailleferre, and Louis Durey. Moreover, they all shared a similar reaction to the emotionalism of 19th-century Romantic music and the Impressionism of Claude Debussy. However, it is important to note that their unity was rooted in their friendship rather than shared aesthetic ideals.
Poulenc received instruction from composer and teacher Charles Koechlin between 1921 and 1924.  During this time, notable developments took place. Firstly, his ballet Les Biches was produced by Serge Diaghilev in 1924. Additionally, Poulenc composed the song cycles Poèmes de Ronsard and Chansons Gaillardes in the same year, paving the way for his prolific output in subsequent years, which comprised over 100 songs.
Poulenc’s woodwind compositions highlight his remarkable skill in writing for specific instruments within the family. In his Flute, Oboe and Clarinet Sonatas, he demonstrates a deep understanding of the unique qualities and expressive capabilities of each instrument. The Flute Sonata, with its lyrical melodies and agile passages, showcases the flute’s soaring and fluid nature, while the Clarinet Sonata explores the rich and expressive range of the clarinet, combining virtuosity with moments of tender introspection.
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