Flute Sonata (Poulenc)

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The Flute Sonata by Francis Poulenc, or Sonata for Flute and Piano, was written in 1957. Poulenc composed it for the flautist Jean-Pierre Rampal, and he and Rampal gave the première in June 1957 at the Strasbourg Festival. It is dedicated to the memory of Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, an American patron of chamber music. It is now one of Poulenc's best known works and is a prominent feature in 20th century flute repertoire.

The first movement of the sonata is currently on the Grade 8 Associated Board syllabus, the second on the Grade 7 syllabus, and the entire sonata is a diploma piece (UK).

[edit] History

Sources indicate that Poulenc had had the idea to compose a flute sonata for a long time, which can be dated back to the year 1952 in a letter to the baritone Pierre Bernac. Throughout the next few years, Poulenc had intended to resume the work as stated in his letters to his publisher in 1953, 1955 and 1956.

However, it is unknown whether this planned sonata is directly related to the published sonata. In April 1956, Harold Spivacke, a spokeperson for the Coolidge Foundation at the Library of Congress, wrote a letter to Poulenc offering a commission for a piece of chamber music for a festival going to take place in October 1956. Poulenc declined the commission soon as he was just finishing the orchestration of his new opera and the première in Milan was too close. Spivacke again offered the commission in May, and this time Poulenc responded in August when he noted that the opera was in order and he could write something for him. He suggested the Sonata for Flute and Piano, provided that he could reserve the première for the Strasbourg Festival in June 1957.

Jean-Pierre Rampal learnt about the sonata in a phone call from Poulenc. The occasion was marked in his autobiography:

"Jean-Pierre," said Poulenc: "you know you've always wanted me to write a sonata for flute and piano? Well, I'm going to,' he said. 'And the best thing is that the Americans will pay for it! I've been commissioned by the Coolidge Foundation to write a chamber piece in memory of Elizabeth Coolidge. I never knew her, so I think the piece is yours."

Poulenc wrote the piece in Cannes between December 1956 and March 1957, and the completed manuscript was mailed to the Library of Congress on 7 June 1957. On 17 June 1957, an unofficial première was given at the Strasbourg Festival by the composer and Rampal - with only one audience, Arthur Rubinstein, who requested to hear it one day before the official première as he was going to leave before it.

On 16 January 1958, Poulenc played the work with Gareth Morris in a broadcast on BBC. The American première took place in the Coolidge Auditorium at the Library of Congree on 14 February 1958. It was reported to be a rousing success.