Discovering the Hindemith Clarinet Sonata — A 20th-Century Masterpiece for Clarinet and Piano

VIDEO

VIDEO

I first encountered Hindemith Clarinet Sonata on the 1981 album 20th Century Classics for Clarinet and Piano by American clarinetist David Shifrin and pianist William Doppmann. That recording immediately caught my attention and sparked my interest in the piece. While the work may not immediately share the outward glamour of other well-known clarinet and piano masterpieces by the likes of Brahms, Claude Debussy, or Francis Poulenc, I was nonetheless drawn to it — and have long wanted to study it and perform it in concert. You can also watch a video of my performance of the piece with pianist Mohamed Shams above. Paul Hindemith (1895–1963) was a German composer, music theorist, teacher, and performer (violist and conductor). He is considered one of the most influential composers of the first half of the 20th century. His creative output spans from musical expressionism to neoclassicism, encompassing virtually every genre.

Throughout his career, however, Hindemith retained several hallmark traits: a strong contrapuntal impulse, chromatic and modal melodies, the use of older musical forms such as variations, passacaglias, fugues, and Baroque sonatas, the rejection of certain 19th-century devices such as thematic development and cyclical form, a steady rhythmic drive, and a vigorous sound paired with exceptional instrumental and orchestral craft.

Paul Hindemith in 1923

Between 1935 and 1943, Hindemith devoted much of his energy to composing sonatas for a wide variety of instruments. The most fruitful of these years was 1939, in which he wrote six sonatas, including the Hindemith Clarinet Sonata, completed in just eight days. Hindemith was perhaps the leading German composer of his generation. Today he is recognized not only for his extensive compositional output but also for his contributions as a theorist and teacher. His professorship of composition at Yale University between 1945 and 1953 allowed him to exert a lasting influence on a generation of American composers. In his book The Craft of Musical Composition (1945), Hindemith defended his commitment to tonal harmony, emphasizing the major triad as a fundamental element of music, no more avoidable for a composer than primary colors are for a painter.

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Hindemith rejected contemporary practices such as atonality and serialism, as well as the intellectual complexities and esotericism common to many post‑Webern works. Instead, he promoted the concept of Gebrauchsmusik: music intended for practical use, such as teaching, in contrast to “art for art’s sake.”

Beginning of Hindemith's Clarinet Sonata

The Hindemith Clarinet Sonata, while not intended as a didactic work per se, is an essential piece in the clarinet repertoire. Structured in four movements, the sonata (like many of Hindemith’s works) is based on harmonies built from perfect fourths, which typically resolve into major triads. The sonata showcases the clarinet’s virtuosic and expressive, almost vocal qualities, highlighting its wide range of colors. The piano is an equally important partner, capable of everything from intimate dialogue to tense confrontation.

The opening movement’s three-note rising motif in fourths (Mässig bewegt) sets the overall mood of the piece and foreshadows the strong motivic development that runs throughout the sonata. The second movement (Lebhaft), a lively scherzo, repeats the rising three-note motif—now in thirds rather than fourths—and alternates it with a recurring dotted rhythm reminiscent of a march. The clarinet exploits its full range, from low to high, for a variety of coloristic effects. The weight of the sonata lies in its substantial third movement (Sehr langsam), which occupies more than a third of the work. Here, Hindemith combines his characteristic German earnestness with some of the most eloquent and expressive melodic writing of his output, particularly in the melancholic phrase of the final eight bars that brings the movement to a touching close. The final movement (Kleines Rondo) feels lighter in contrast to the weight of Sehr langsam, and seems somewhat less intricate than the preceding movements, though it still completes the sonata gracefully. Note: Feel free to rate this article below and leave a comment if you’d like! I’d love to hear your thoughts on the Hindemith Clarinet Sonata.