How cool is this?

Five months ago I wrote about a piece of music I'd heard on the car radio. And today someone actually read it! And commented on it!!

You are correct about this piece being written late in Saint-Saens career, it was one of the last pieces he ever wrote and has some "modern" elements that suggest the future course that music would take after his death.

The Sonata Form changed trememdously during Saint-Saens extremely long life and how he developed and enlarged on that form is evident in this sonata.

I especially enjoy that 4th movement, which nearly ends by returning to its original motif - except for the brief coda that returns to the very beginning of the entire piece. It is truly as masterful work.

If you think it is a pleasure to listen to, you should play it sometime: it is not only a challenge but also a delightful collaboration between clarinet & piano.

Louis Richards

Thanks, Louis.