Faure - Requiem Op.48 (1888)

I recently performed the Faure 'Requiem' in Worcester Cathedral. The piece, which consists of 7 movements, is written for two soloist (soprano and baritone), choir and orchestra.

The orchestration of the piece and the setting of the vocal lines have a strong focus on the middle register; there is only a solo violin in two movements, but then spilt violas and celli. There are numerous exposed passages for the altos and tenors as well.

Its also a very restrained piece; there are lots of piano and pianissimo passage but rarely forte passages and never a fortissimo. There are subtle distinctions in dynamic contrast throughout though, such as crescendi from mp to mf, diminuendos from mp to p. There is still a lot of intensity the music though through this restraint.


Introit - Kyrie

The piece opens with a forte orchestra chord with a rapid diminuendo before the choir enters with a pianissimo, homophonic passage. The choir lines are interjected with forte orchestra chords; the choir lines themselves gradually build in dynamic to a forte for the line "et lux perpetua". The music then gradually dies back again to pianissimo. This is followed by a short passage with the organ playing the melody accompanied by the strings, before the tenors enter with the main "Requiem" tune. This is followed by a passage for sopranos before the entire choir enter with a passage consisting of contrasting phrases; the first phrase of each line is loud followed by a second phrase which is suddenly quiet. The opening tenor line returns for unison choir before a return of the contrasting phrases heard previously, gradually diminuendo-ing
to a pianissimo conclusion. The movement sets the mood of the piece very well with dynamic contrasts and subtle harmonic changes.


Offertorie

The offertorie opens with intertwining melodic lines for the celli and viola parts. The altos enter a cappella, mimicked a few beats later by the Tenors. The two vocal lines continue a cappella before being joined by the strings. The music is repeated in a different key before the basses join the texture. This is followed by a baritone solo accompanied only by organ, giving it a very religious feel appropriate to the text being sung (Hostias et preces tibi Domine). Given the nature of the text the piece calls for an intense, retrained quality to the baritone soloist. The choir return, with sopranos this time, to conclude the movement. The setting of the text by Faure wouldn't be out of place in a church service or evensong. 


Sanctus

The Sanctus opens with rising arpeggios on the harp and contrary motion arpeggios in the two viola parts. This ostinato continues for most of the movement, only breaking for the forte "hosanna" passages. Whilst the movement is written in 3/4 time, the opening gives it a 4/4 feel. The sopranos open with a long flowing vocal line which is repeated by the tenors and 1st basses. This conversive writing is continued throughout the movement. The tenors and basses are always accompanied by a solo violin descant played high in its register. The violin is only used twice in the piece; both times it is used to portray an angelic quality to the music. The music gradually builds to the entrance of the forte horn fanfare which sets up the tenor and bass "hosanna". This is mimicked by the sopranos, before the opening music returns and dies away again, ending with the opening arpeggios accompanying the solo violin. Like the violin Faure uses the horns quite sparingly as the mood of the piece doesn't really suit a big brass sound, but there are three prominent moments for them; the hosanna section of the Sanctus and passages in the Agnus Dei and Libera Mei.


Pie Jesu

The Pie Jesu is written for solo soprano and is in two verses. The first verse is piano and just written for the soprano and organ, giving it a very ethereal quality. The vocal line is interjected with legato string and harp broken chords. At the end of the first verse, the repetition of the "sempiternam requiem" line is used to build up to the start of the second verse, which is mf and has a much fuller orchestral accompaniment. The music gradually dies away to the end of the movement; the flowing quavers in the bass line create the atmosphere of a lullaby which fits the meaning of the words perfectly ("grant them eternal rest").


Agnus Dei

The opening of the Agnus Dei features polyphonic string writing to create a pastoral sound to the music; no doubt to reflect the "lamb of god" in the text. The tenors enter with a long flowing vocal line; again Faure puts emphasis on the middle register. The tenor line is followed by forte orchestra chords which introduces a full choir homophonic passage which, like in the Offertoire, consists of large dynamic contrasts. The opening music then returns with the tenor line, but the ending is altered; the "sempiternam requiem" line mimics the end of the Pie Jesu to introduce a piano a cappella choir passage. The organ is introduced as the music builds through dynamics and subtle harmonic changes to a forte climax. A short orchestral interlude, with prominent horn chords is used to change to mood of the music and re-introduce the opening music of the first movement. Instead of leading into the Kyrie, the opening pastoral string theme returns to conclude the movement.


Libera Me

The Libera Me begins with long sustained orchestral chords above a crochet bass ostinato which is heard throughout the movement. The baritone enters with a long sustained vocal line, which wouldn't be out of place as an operatic aria; it is more restrained and not sung out fully though. The vocal line builds to a climax before a piano string bridge passage introduces the pianissimo homophonic choir. The music builds and dies away again before a sudden horn fanfare introduces the Dies Irae. Compared to other requiems Faure doesn't write a big, dramatic Dies Irae. The music is loud and full of emphasis, but general movement of the music is slow; the choir and orchestra move together in long chords with only the bass motif showing some independent movement. Instead, Faure uses a sudden contrast in dynamics and harmonies to create the intensity and power. The end of the Dies Irae sees a return of the opening bass ostinato rhythm throughout the orchestra, before the choir sings the opening baritone solo in unison. The baritone sings a reprise of the opening line before final piano chords end the movement.


In Paradisum

The final movement begins with staccato arpeggios on the organ above sustained chords in the strings. The sopranos open with a high, piano, long flowing vocal line which creates an angelic quality to the music (again appropriate to the meaning of the text). The remainder of the choir eventually enter to provide backing chords to increase the texture. The harp and solo violin are added at the start of the second verse to reinforce the angelic theme. The music builds to climax with the sopranos before the rest of the choir are added and the music gradually dies away; the chords become longer and the moving arpeggios disappear before the final "requiem".

Sir Simon Rattle and The Rite of Spring

There's an interesting article in this month's BBC music magazine featuring an interview with Sir Simon Rattle as he prepares to conduct Stravinsky's 'The Rite of Spring'. He describes the occasions he has previously conducted the piece, his working relationship with the Berlin Philharmonic and how he goes about tackling the piece. There is also an insert with a history of the piece, including a summary of the fateful première.

It's interesting to read how when the piece was premièred 100 years it was considered impossible to conduct and play, yet now it is considered a staple in a professional orchestra's repertoire and even amateur orchestras perform it; I played it in my university orchestra and have never had to concentrate so much in my life! I think this goes to show how much modern classical music has pushed the boundaries and abilities of professional players, to the extent that later in his life Stravinsky suggested transposing the opening bassoon solo up a semitone so it sounds as difficult as it did when it was first performed.

Rattle also talks about the difficulties of conducting it and interpreting how Stravinsky intended the music to sound; he notes in particular how even Stravinsky wasn't happy with what he had written given the number of revisions he made. Revisions are something I've always associated with late Romantic music onwards, but it might be that we don't have records of early composer's revisions rather than it being something which only started occurring more recently. Rattle also notes that, whilst the piece has some interesting rhythms, they aren't difficult in themselves, it's how to phrase them into larger units and create a harmonic line from them which is the challenge; I liked the concept of a harmonic line based on rhythmic grouping.

Something which Rattle said which struck a chord was how we also assume what the composer wrote was what he intended, yet we forget that composers are fallible just like anyone else; Rattle tells a story about how he was rehearsing a piece with the composer present where it was marked double the speed when half the speed was much more reasonable and what the composer actually intended. He also talks about how Stravinsky struggled to write on paper the music he heard in his head; this is something I could strongly relate to.

Instrument Research - YouTube Symphony Orchestra

As part of my research for part 2 I found the following videos useful:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF852224BFF35A1BE

These are a series of master classes by members of professional orchestras, such as the Berlin Philharmonic and London Symphony Orchestra, about their instrument to introduce a series of audition excerpts for when the YouTube Symphony Orchestra was set up.

Not only did these videos show off the tone colour of the instruments introduced in section 2, there are also videos for other instruments in the woodwind family, such as Cor Anglais, Eb Clarinet and Piccolo. It's interesting to listen to the professionals talk about the difficulties of playing the excerpts, despite making it sound effortless when they play them.

There are also other videos for most instruments in a symphonic orchestra, which will no doubt useful when they are introduced later on. 

Assignment 2: Reflections

Elegy and Reflections for Solo Oboe

I wanted to write a piece in ABCA form with the following principle - the music begins sorrowful with someone mourning the passing of a loved one. The person then begins to reflect on the happy times they shared, so a more upbeat, bright passage is required. This then leads to a more aggressive, animated passage where things start to go wrong and something tragic happens; a death or a break up. The sorrowful, morning mood returns to end the piece.

I thought the first motif I wrote for the Bassoon East European Minor Scale piece as part of Project 7 would make a good starting point for the sorrowful, mourning melody. I decided to write for oboe as I thought the tone of the oboe in the upper register would suit the mood I was trying to create. I transposed the minor version of the East European scale provided in example 25 up a fourth so that the 3 notes a semi-tone apart were focused around a D so that it was in the right part of the oboe’s upper register; Poulenc uses this part of the oboe’s register to superb effect in the third movement of his oboe sonata to create a very passionate, mournful melody. To aid writing I set a key signature of D Major so that the only accidental that needed to be added was an Eb; I used the Eb’s as focus points because it is the only note which doesn't fit into a D Major scale. Bars 5-9 are designed to create more of a major feel to the melody; it’s loosely based on a flute solo from Shostakovich’s 5^th symphony, 3^rd movement (bar 94). The final phrase of the lento passage was written to sound as though the melody resolved into D Major, creating the impression of a positive outcome to the situation to aid the transition to the next section.

From working on Project 7 I found the nine-note scales quite easy to work with; the extra chromatic notes allow a few different keys to be explored. I decided to use the scale in the left hand side in example 25, but with a Bb; this allowed the keys of F and Bb Major and G minor to be employed. I recently sang Schubert’s Mass in Ab flat where he frequently modulates to the flattened submediant to very good effect. Using this idea, I was able to modulate from D Major at the end of the first section to Bb Major at the beginning of the second section. I wrote it in 6/8 to give it a dancing feel, with the melodic line emphasising the beat; I also set it lower in the oboe’s register so that a fuller, more rounded tone would be possible. Using ideas from Phaeton (six metamorphoses after Ovid) I added rests to some of the groups towards the end to add a sense of unease and uncertainty. The music modulates from Bb Major to F Major before the last line of the section sees the introduction of F#s to introduce G minor and the transition into the next section.

I used the chromatic scale to create an agitated feel to the third section as it loses the sense on tonality. The section from bar 39 to 44 is based around a rising sequence, but with rests interspersed at different points to make it sound uneasy.  Whilst this passage requires quite a lot of skill and dexterity I don’t think it is outside the realms of a good oboe player. The section ends on a held top D which allows a return of the opening music. The opening two phrases return, but are heavily ornamented with particular emphasis on the Ebs; Debussy’s Syrinx was the inspiration for this. I add a low B to the end of the second phrase to give it a rawer, edgy ending. The phrases return in their unornamented form, with the added bottom B again before the last phrase of the first section ends the piece, but it ends on an Eb rather than a D so that it doesn't sound like a natural resting point or ending, as though there is some unfinished business. 

Project 7: Exploring Different Scales

Flute Whole-Tone Scale

I wanted to use the dexterity of the flute to shape the melody, but found the whole tone scale quite limiting to work with as there are a limited number of intervals you can actually use.

Treble Recorder Whole-Tone Scale

I wrote this with a Renaissance dance in mind, but the whole tone scale gives it a distorted, spooky feel which I think works quite effectively.

Oboe East European Major Scale

I found it difficult to use this scale and keep a feel of major tonality to it. I tried to use different parts of the oboe's register to colour the melody.

Bassoon East European Minor Scale

I wrote this as 2 similar phrases; one very high in the bassoon's register, the other towards the bottom. I felt this scale had much more of a minor feel to it than the previous one.

Clarinet Middle Eastern Eight-Note Scale

I found this scale difficult to write in because it has no real sense of tonality to it; it is hard to tell whether it is major or minor. 

Tenor Saxophone Middle Eastern Eight-Note Scale

Like the previous piece, I found this scale quite difficult to write in as I struggled to fit what I wanted into the notes available. 

Flute Nine-Note Scale

I based the first phrase loosely on a dominant seventh in the key of C, but the final scales at the end create the impression the piece ends in E Major. The extra chromatic notes in the scale were useful in ornamenting the melodic line.

Oboe Nine-Note Scale

I noticed that, from the notes of the scale, you could write a melody in either A Major or A minor so this is what I did; the first phrase is in A Major, the second is the same in A minor but the ending gives a feel of finishing in G Major.

Clarinet Chromatic Scale

I actually found this the easiest to write, mainly because I just used rising and descending chromatic scales for most of it and didn't need to constantly check the notes to see whether they belonged to the scale. 

Project 6: Analysing a Solo Composition

My rational behind choosing these two pieces was very simple - they are the two pieces listed in the course notes that I had sheet copies of at home.


Syrinx - Claude Debussy (Flute)

This was the piece I played as my solo study for my Grade 8; 12 years ago. What amazed me the most about this piece when I got the score was that it's 8 pages long, but the music only fills the first 2; the remaining 6 pages are performance notes and a background to the setting of La Flûte de Pan. The piece was requested by Gabriel Mourey as incidental music to his play Psyché, to be performed as the last melody the character Pan plays before his death. As a result, the music contains the lines spoken on stage in between the musical lines.

In general the music has a very chromatic feel to it; Debussy also only tends to use the bottom 2 octaves of the flute's register as the brightness of the top register is not really in keeping with the mood of the music. Throughout the piece Debussy is very precise about how the rhythms should be played and the tempo of the music; he regularly marked where the music should have more movement, where it should slow and even where rubato should be employed. His dynamics are also very precise; in many cases he marks crescendos and decrescendos to indicate emphasis in a musical phrase rather than actually meaning get louder and softer. He also never marks the music louder than mf, meaning everything is slightly restrained.

The opening melody features emphasised dotted quavers interjected with demisemiquavers which create the feeling of mordents leading into the next note. Debussy then uses a rising triplet motif to create a sense of movement and building before the section ends with long, sustained high notes. A paused bar denotes words spoken on stage before the opening motif returns an octave lower and piano. Some scalic flurries lead into the next section based around triplet groups low in the flute register. Setting it this low gives a tone of mystery and mourning. The same triplet group begins each phrase followed by a different short motif; it's as though Pan is reminiscing about something, but by repeating the same motif with a different ending it creates a feeling of uncertainty. The music then becomes more animated, as directed by Debussy, but aided by rising and falling semiquaver triplets.

Rising trills lead to the return of the opening motif with different embellishment from before. The notes of this motif are then repeated down an octave but with a triplet rhythm, making it sound sleepier than before. The triplet groups of the middle section return, but with long held notes in between so that it loses the fluidity it had before. One final piano, descending scale leads to a bottom D to finish the music, marked perdendosi (dying away) to represent the passing of Pan.


Six Metamorphases after Ovid - Benjamin Britten (Oboe)

If I had remembered I had this at home I'd have selected a different oboe piece for the study point, but hindsight's a wonderful thing. Like in Syrinx, Britten provides a short description of each movement to set the mood.

I. Pan - who played upon the reed pipe which was Syrinx, his beloved.

The movement is marked Senza misura, meaning without measure; Britten doesn't specify a time signature and only uses bar lines to denote breaks between phrases. The phrases at the beginning are short, only a few beats long, and tend to start and end on the same or notes close to one another; the melodic line simply turns around the starting notes. Britten varies the number of notes he groups together so that the melody arrives at his desired note on the beat; groups of 5, 6 and 7 are used. A second section begins pianissimo with repeated notes followed by a rising and falling section. This theme is repeated a few times with embellishment on the rising and falling motifs until a rising sequence with a crescendo leads to the same repeated notes up an octave; it's interesting how effective repeating the same note is in building or tapering the musical line. The final section uses demisemiquavers in front of dotted quavers to ornament the notes of the melodic line and create a feel of uncertainty and almost panic; the music crescendos and accelerates to a final trill before two phrases reminiscent of the earlier passages end the movement.


II. Phaeton - who Rode upon the chariot of the sun for one day and was hurled into the river Padus by a thunderbolt.

The movement is set in 12/8 time and the opening melody is reminiscent of a gigue, except Britten puts rests on the 3 note of some groups to make it sound less secure; this creates the impression Phaeton is slightly out of control on his chariot. The notes are short and detached to create a contrast with the previous movement. After a pause the music continues with a similar motif a fourth higher but slurred in different groups to create a smoother melodic line, yet still with rests at the end of some groups breaking up the melodic line. The detached version of the motif returns followed by a descending, crescendoing chromatic scale down to a fortissimo Bb, the lowest note on the oboe. This section is to symbolise Phaeton soaring too high before plummeting to earth. The loud, low passages which follow suit the oboe very well as it creates a raw, edgy tone.


III. Niobe - who, lamenting the death of her fourteen children, was turned into a mountain. 

Marked Andante piangendo, meaning weeping, this movement contrasts the previous movement being much slower and more restrained. Overall it is set high in the oboe register, which gives it a pained tone in keeping with the meaning in the title. The music features a lot of descending phrases; the opening motif is particularly poignant as Britten writes a dotted crochet-quaver pattern with stress on the dotted crochet to create a motif which dies away as it descends onto the quaver. The middle passage becomes more animated and lively with slurred triplet motifs built around rising and failing arpeggios; I get the impression this passage is meant to symbolise Niobe's transformation into a mountain as it completely breaks the mood of the previous section. The opening music then returns but piano, decrescendoing to pianissimo before rising to a top D to create a weak, feeble ending to the movement.


IV. Bacchus - at whose feasts is heard the noise of gaggling women's tattling tongues and shouting out of boys.

This movement is roughly laid out in an ABAC form. My interpretation is that the A section gives the setting of the feast, almost like incidental music to be played while the guests are eating. The dotted quaver-semiquaver grouping which forms the basis of the melody gives it a grand, pompous feeling. Each group is slurred together to give it a bouncy feeling and this is interjected with detached semiquaver groups. There is a suggestion that the music is set in 4/4 time, but in the opening section there are regularly bars with only 3 beats in them, thus Britten is able to vary the number of dotted quaver-semiquaver groups he uses in a bar. The B section I think is meant to symbolise the gaggling women; it features large rising leaps in the melodic line and detached semiquavers to create a more edgy, biting feel to the melody. One beat, or longer, rests are interspersed to create a break in the proceedings, as though the women are pausing for thought. The C section I think symbolises the boys shouting. Breaking away from the previous sections it is marked con moto and uses long semiquaver broken chords to give a feeling of fluidity and agitation. The passage ends on repeated sforzando Cs, creating a feeling of anger and power as though the boys are being told off. A variation of the opening music then returns to end the movement.


V. Narcissus - who fell in love with his own image and became a flower.

This movement, marked Lento piacevole meaning slow and pleasant, fits perfectly with the tranquil fixation of the title character. Britten uses written out trill motifs to ornament the melodic line. As the movement progresses he begins to write some of the notes with upward stems and some with downward stems; he notes the upward stems represent the reflected image of Narcissus, and the downward stems represent Narcissus himself. Britten writes the passages with upward stems roughly an octave high than the downward stems and the music generally echoes the preceding motif but inverted, like a reflection. Listening to the music, it is sometimes difficult to appreciate that it is written like this as there is no dynamic contrast between the motifs. This might be intentional though, as Narcissus became so infatuated with his own image he lost sight of what was real.


VI. Arethusa - who, flying from the love of Alpheus the river god, was turned into a fountain.

This movement is written with rising and descending arpeggios to depict flowing water. Britten puts emphasis on the first note of every group to mark the melodic line out of the semiquavers; the rest of the notes are then slurred to create one long, flowing group. The middle passage is very different; Britten uses trills on every note to create a feeling of movement through the descending melodic lines.

Introducing Wind Instruments - Francis Poulenc

Another way I thought of investigating the characters of the different woodwind instruments is though the works of Francis Poulenc. Poulenc wrote 3 sonatas for solo woodwind and piano. He had planned to write a complete set of woodwind sonatas, but he died shortly after the completion of his third; the oboe sonata. The other 2 works are the flute sonata (1956-7) and the clarinet sonata (1962). He did, however, also write other chamber music works for woodwind; a sonata for clarinet and bassoon, a trio for oboe, bassoon and piano and a sextet for piano and wind quintet (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn).

Sextet for Piano and Wind Quintet (1932–9)

The sextet for piano and wind quintet is an interesting piece because it shows off Poulenc’s awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of the different wind instruments. It’s a virtuoso piece for all the instruments and shows them all off in equal light. It’s written in three movements in a fast-slow-fast form, though each movement has a middle section which changes mood.

The first movement begins loud and boisterously, with short injections from each instrument. Here Poulenc plays around with pairing different instruments; solo lines are interspersed with duet lines for flute and bassoon, flute and clarinet, clarinet and bassoon and oboe and bassoon. The horn injects with fanfare style calls before the music eventually settles down with a flute melody that is echoed around the different instruments, interjected with rapid scales and different playing techniques such as trills and flutter tonguing. Again, loud horn interjections break the mood before a calm, smooth bassoon cadenza joins into the slower middle section, which begins with a piano solo. A slow oboe lament is shared around the instruments, first with a very low flute solo which creates a very sombre mood. By contrast the horn solo which follows, whilst quiet and contained, sounds more defiant and emphatic. The oboe returns, accompanied by a bassoon counter melody. The horn and clarinet exchange melodic lines with the other instruments playing long sustained notes to add to the texture. By changing the melodic line between instruments the mood and colour of the line changes whilst maintaining a quiet dynamic. The texture gradually builds with more instruments being added; Poulenc uses the more dexterous instruments like the flute and clarinet to embellish the texture with rapid scales and arpeggios around the other parts. A staccato bassoon and piano line under a long oboe line sees a change in style which introduces a return to the opening theme; the bassoon and oboe blend well together although their material is of a contrasting style. This time the theme is in a different key and subtly different instrumentation is used to change the sound of the music. A short coda passage then ends the movement.

The second movement begins with a long, smooth melodic line played by the oboe, accompanied by the piano and bassoon and horn chords. This is taken over by the clarinet and horn while the other instruments play long sustained chords. The bassoon and flute continue the melody before trills from the clarinet and oboe make the music more animated. The texture and dynamic build before the piano and bassoon accelerate into the faster middle section. The horn and flute exchange melodic lines before the clarinet and oboe play a vibrant duet over a bassoon trill. A further vibrant duet from the flute and clarinet high in their register show how well the 2 instruments can blend together. The thematic material is shared around other instruments while additional bits of texture are added, such as rapid flute scales, sustained chords and trills. The music gradually becomes more gentle and sustained, seeing a return to the style of the opening. Again, the pairing of the flute and bassoon returns, which is remarkably effective considering they can be playing over 2 octaves apart.

The opening of third movement is much like the first, with loud, short sharp interjections from different instruments accompanied by staccato chords and clarinet and flute flourishes. The music eventually settles with smooth flowing melodies under a mobile piano accompaniment. This is met by a sudden staccato horn melody, echoed low on the clarinet showing off the power of both instruments lower registers. The bassoon and oboe continue the theme, but their more nasal tone changes the colour of the music, creating a good contrast to the horn and clarinet pairing. Motifs reminiscent of the first movement are added by the flute and oboe along with an emphatic, trumpet like horn solo below dissonant sustained chords from the other wind instruments. The opening material then returns, but like the first movement Poulenc subtly changes the instrumentation to change the sound of the music, even adding a hand stopped passage of the horn to spice things up. The movement ends with a slower, reflective passage similar to the middle passage of the first movement. This builds in dynamic, becoming more dissonant as more instruments are added to the texture. Long but separated chords build in dynamic until one final staccato chord ends the piece. Here Poulenc shows how effectively you can build chords with wind instruments, either short or sustained, and by changing where the instrument is in the chord you can change the sound of it.

Flute Sonata (1956-7)

The flute sonata was composed for the French flautist Jean-Pierre Rampal, considered by many to be the greatest flautist of the 20^th century. The piece is written in three movements in a fast-slow-fast form.

The first movement features smooth flowing melodies whilst at the same time showing off the dexterity of the instrument; trills and rapid tonguing are both required. He uses the same melody in different registers to show off the difference in tone of the instrument; the purity and clearness of tone in the upper register contrasting the weaker, more restrained lower register. He also uses a large dynamic contrast, particularly in the upper register, to change the mood; he writes passages in a lower register which are echoed later in the upper register.

The second movement features long, flowing melodies but with a more sorrowful mood; the title of the movement, Cantilena, literally translates as 'song'. Poulenc utilises the clarity of the upper register to create a very pure sounding melody, which when performed with little or no vibrato creates a mood of absolute calm and stillness. The character changes for a short middle massage which becomes more agitated. A long, loud low note shows off the harshness available in the flute lower register; a contrast to the two high lines either side of it. The music becomes more animated and agitated, building to a climax on a high trill, before the returning to the opening thematic material and mood; this time it is even quieter and more reflective showing the dynamic range of the instrument.

The final movement is upbeat and virtuosic, again showing off dexterity of the instrument, in particular the extremities of range that can be covered quickly. Much of the movement is at the top of the flute’s range, showing the ability it has to pierce through a texture at that pitch. Again, Poulenc uses are large dynamic range throughout the flute’s register. A reflective slower passage sees a return of a theme from of the first movement before the opening returns for a dramatic ending to the piece.

Clarinet Sonata (1962)

The clarinet sonata was dedicated to the composer Arthur Honegger, a fellow member of ‘Les Six’. It shares the same form as the flute sonata - three movements in a fast-slow-fast form.

The first movement begins very much like the first movement of the flute sonata; some of the melodic lines are very similar to those in the flute sonata. Like the flute sonata, the melody uses a lot of the clarinet’s range, showing the evenness of tone that can be achieved throughout the instrument; many of the melodies are made up of motifs based around ascending and descending broken chords and arpeggios. It also shows off well the large dynamic range the instrument has. The slower middle section of the movement features longer, more flowing themes, with a melodic line reminiscing of the orchestral opening of the ‘Domine Deus’ from the composer’s Gloria. A final reprise of some of the opening themes ends the movement, but generally quieter and more reflective.

The slow second movement has a more sombre feel. Again, there are echoes of melodic ideas from the 2^nd movement of the flute sonata, but in general the melodic line is more elaborate; long phrases joined by rapid scales and arpeggios showing the dexterity and even tone of the instrument. The melodic line uses the extreme top end of the clarinet’s range, but Poulenc uses this to emphasise moments of extreme hurt; the loud high passages make it sound as though the instruments is crying out in pain, in contrast to the pianissimo lower passages.   

Like the flute sonata the third movement is lively and energetic, featuring a rapidly moving melodic line and trills making it sound almost jokey and childlike. It also features smoother, quiet, reflective movements amongst the chaos. Like the first movement, this shows the dexterity of the instrument throughout the whole of its vast range and the large range of dynamic contrast available. 

Oboe Sonata (1962)

Unlike the flute and clarinet sonatas, the oboe sonata has three movements in a slow-fast-slow form, producing a more melancholy, sorrowful piece which suits the oboe particularly well; Poulenc dedicated the piece to his friend Sergei Prokofiev who had died in 1953.

In the first movement, Poulenc uses the contrasting tone quality of the oboe’s upper and lower register to reflect the mood of the music; he writes soft, reflective high passages to match the instrument’s sweet tones in the register. He then uses the lower register to produce a fuller, stronger tone to the melody. The music allows the lower melodies to sound confident and resonant, whilst the higher writing sounds more reflective and pensive.  The long, flowing melodic lines show the clearness the oboe can achieve; due to the resistant the double reed provides the oboe can achieve vast feats of endurance compared to other woodwind instruments. There are also moments where the melody is reminiscent of the middle section of the first movement of the clarinet concerto.

In contrast the second movement, 'scherzo', features more staccato, attacking lines to show off the raw, raspy quality of the oboe, particularly in the upper register. Again, Poulenc writes over a large range and shows of the dexterity of the instrument. The slower middle section is more reminiscing of the first movement; a return to long flowing lines.

The concluding lament (‘Déploration’) is particularly suited to the qualities of the oboe. Like the first movement, he writes high and low melodic lines to change the mood; at the extreme lower end of the oboe register he achieves a very raw, powerful sound. This phrase occurs twice; once loud and once very quietly to show off the different in tone colour available. He echoes melodies from the first movement but higher in the range, creating a calm, reflective mood.