Program Notes

The McKinley Sonata for Clarinet and Piano was composed for Richard Stoltzman and was premiered by Richard Stoltzman and Irma Vallecillo at Merkin Hall, New York, on February 8, 1988 [sic]. In four movements, this work represents one of McKinley's most ambitious sonatas and embraces a wide gamut of emotional contrasts, juxtapositions of color, and musical sentiment–all ambitiously developed and amply canvassed throughout the large-framed movements. The work does not attempt to disguise its romantic impulses and essentially lyric development. Its inspirational basis is in great part intuitive and its rhythmic momentum is generated by strong contrasts, propelling drive, and development. Since its New York premiere, Mr. Stoltzman has frequently performed the Sonata throughout the United States

Commissioned by Richard Stoltzman and composed in 1986, the clarinet sonata has its world premiere at Merkin Hall in New York City on February 8, 1987 with Stoltzman on clarinet and Irma Vallecillo on piano. The recording heard here features Richard Stoltzman and Irma Vallecillo from a 1994 recording at Mechanics Hall, Worcester, MA. This recording was released on an RCA CD in 1997. The video shows a new edited version of the published score available through Subito Music's Notevole imprint