Mulsant, F :: Sonate pour Piccolo et Piano, op. 57

Sonate pour Piccolo et Piano, op. 57

Florentine Mulsant is a French composer born in 1962. She studied the traditional disciplines (harmony, counterpoint, fugue, analysis and orchestration) at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique in Paris for twelve years. After the 1st Prize in composition at the Schola Cantorum in 1987 with Allain Gaussin she followed the instructions of Franco Donatoni at Academia Chigiana in Siena (Italy) and perfected with Alain Bancquart.

Written during the summer 2015, this Sonata (which duration is 13 minutes) is dedicated to Jean Louis Beaumadier, who has also commissioned the work.

The piccolo, alone, exposes the theme of the first movement. It is melodic and very expressive. It will be given then by the piano, harmonized. This theme is developed with new counterpoints during all the first part. A second theme issued from the first one will be given from measure 35 on the two instruments. Its character is bright and rhythmic. The recapitulation at measure 55 will cause new developments. The movement ends in a mysterious climate.

The second movement adopts the Rondo form. The theme of the refrain is given by the piano at the beginning of the movement. It relies on resonances of harmonics and its character is bright. Two episodes will punctuate the return of the refrain, and, the second episode at measure 57. During the second episode, the piccolo is developing a cadenza. At measure 89, the theme of the refrain is given again, in parts exposed by contrary motion. The work concludes in a joyful and luminous climate.