Think a sonatina for mandolin and piano is a bit far-fetched? Tune in to hear what Beethoven made of it.
This morning on “Sweetness and Light,” the unifying theme is sonatinas, or “little” sonatas.
Florent Schmitt’s “Sonatine en Trio” is a happy discovery indeed. There’s a certain neoclassic quality to the music, which we’ll hear in a version for flute, cello and piano, by a French composer whose orchestral works can be quite opulent. The title itself seems to harken back to an earlier time. In fact, the keyboard part was originally conceived for harpsichord. It’s cheering music, and I think you’ll agree, a great start to the day!
Carlos Guastavino is largely remembered for his songs. He wrote his Sonatina while visiting Manuel de Falla, who spent his final years in self-imposed exile in Cordoba, Argentina, following the Spanish Civil War. We’ll hear it performed by Gila Goldstein from a Centaur Records release, “Latin American Piano Gems,” a transporting collection of works by Ernesto Lecuona, Astor Piazzolla, Manuel Ponce, and Heitor Villa-Lobos.
We’ll also hear Philadelphia composer Romeo Cascarino’s Bassoon Sonata, written after World War II for his Army buddy Sol Schoenbach, principal bassoonist of the Philadelphia Orchestra. “Sonatina” may not be in the title, but the character is light, and the sonata is only seven minutes long!
The program will also include delights by Federico Moreno Torroba, Eugène Bozza, and Erik Satie.
A cup of coffee, a scone, and a soundtrack of sonatinas. Give thanks for life’s “Small Pleasures” on “Sweetness and Light,” this Saturday morning at 11:00 EDT/8:00 PDT, exclusively on KWAX, the radio station of the University of Oregon!
Stream it wherever you are at the link:
