Thom Ritter George

SONATINA FOR FLUTE, CN 117bis (1962; reduction 1965-1967)
 

PROGRAM NOTES

 

Thom Ritter George's SONATINA (flute and piano) is a reduction of his FLUTE QUARTET written in 1962 and is one of the composer's lighter chamber music compositions.  The composition was written at a time when the composer was experimenting with bitonal music.  The happy opening movement (Allegro moderato) pits a melody in D Major against accompanying figures in C Major.  The music is in sonata-allegro form.  The second movement (Adagio) is based on a reflective melody in G minor.  The theme of the final movement (Rondo: Tempo di valse) again employs bitonality, this time an A minor melody with a D Major accompaniment.  The central pesante section enhances the music's dance like character.

The original FLUTE QUARTET for flute, violin, viola, and violoncello and the present SONATINA for flute and piano are dedicated to Susan Nancy Berman, a flutist who often joined the composer and his friends during chamber music sessions during the late 1950s and early 1960s.

The flute and piano version of this score was completed on May 24, 1967 in Washington, D.C.

(TRGcm:2006.11.23)