John Ireland’s Fantasy-Sonata for Clarinet and Piano: A Captivating Masterpiece

VIDEO

VIDEO

How beautiful is the Fantasy Sonata for clarinet and piano by John Ireland! Like Joseph Horovitz's Sonatina (which I discussed in another post on this blog), I first discovered it thanks to the CD

"English Music for Clarinet and Piano" by Gervase De Peyer and pianist Gwenneth Pryor. A little later, in mid-1992, pianist Myriam Blasberg and I decided to include it in two clarinet and piano recitals we gave in Buenos Aires. More recently, on January 26, 2021, I recorded it with the English pianist Paul Gardner, using a pre-recorded accompaniment track. You can watch this performance in the YouTube video above.

John Ireland

Composed in 1943 by the English composer John Ireland (1872–1962), the Fantasy-Sonata is regarded as one of the twentieth century’s masterpieces of the English clarinet repertoire, and also as Ireland’s most significant chamber work. Written as a single movement lasting around thirteen minutes, it masterfully condenses all his compositional techniques, once again revealing his deep affection for the clarinet.

Frederick Thurston

Ireland dedicated the work to the eminent English clarinetist Frederick Thurston (1901–1953).

The relationship between Ireland and Thurston was particularly meaningful for the composer, as revealed in their correspondence from 1943 and 1944. Ireland was thoroughly familiar with Thurston’s technical and musical capabilities—such as his command of the upper register, evident from the opening bars—and he combined passages of great complexity with long, lyrical phrases, always in consultation with the clarinetist. During the compositional process, Ireland invited Thurston to suggest changes to any technically challenging sections and frequently sought his advice on clarinet technique. The official premiere took place on January 29, 1944, with Frederick Thurston and Kendall Taylor at the piano. The Fantasy-Sonata was warmly received by the press, which praised Ireland’s contribution to the clarinet repertoire and predicted that clarinetists would be grateful for the addition of such a remarkable work: “one of the finest works for clarinet since the days of Brahms.” Just a few days later, on February 6, 1944, Ireland himself accompanied Thurston in the first radio broadcast of the sonata. After this broadcast, the two remained in contact to prepare future performances and to oversee the publication of the score in 1945, to which Thurston contributed valuable phrasing suggestions. The work is written in a freely conceived sonata form, with frequent changes of tempo, character, and tonal center. The piano part is rich and virtuosic, while the clarinet part spans the full range of the instrument, alternating between rhythmic energy and lyrical expressiveness.

Click here to watch the video on YouTube

(Source: Doctoral thesis “The Clarinet in England: Frederick Thurston (1901–1953)” by Cristina María Strike Campuzano, 2018.)

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