SONATINA Op.61

It was at Maurice Ravel's suggestion that Lennox Berkeley went to Paris in 1927 to study with Nadia Boulanger. He got to know Poulenc, Stravinsky, Milhaud, Honegger and Roussel but it is suggested that Ravel was the strongest influence on his technical development as a composer. Back in England, Berkeley met Benjamin Britten in 1936 to begin a long lasting and fruitful artistic collaboration, but his own early compositions have a 'French' quality - for obvious reasons - marked by their "emphasis on melody, (the) lucid textures and a conciseness of expression."

This 'Gallic' influence is still evident in the Oboe Sonatina although it was written thirty years after Berkeley had completed his studies in Paris. The first movement owes something of its classical structure to Stravinsky with its gracefully shaped first subject and lyrical second subject, separated by a contrasting twelve bar interlude of more forceful music. The intensity of the second movement is all the stronger for the restraint of its writing, and the finale has moments of calm to relieve the liveliness of its boisterous syncopation.

The piece is dedicated to the outstanding soloist, orchestral oboe player and teacher Janet Craxton (1929-1981) and her brother John, the painter (1922-2009).

• II Andante
• III Allegro

Delivery Details

We endeavour to dispatch all orders which are in stock on the day the order has been placed. If you need delivery by a certain time please state this clearly on your order and we will do our best to oblige.

For Royal Mail Special Delivery, Airmail (Signed For) and Courier shipments, a signature may be required upon delivery to your address. You are responsible for your order once the package arrives at the supplied delivery address. We cannot be held responsible if the package(s) goes missing once delivered. If any goods are received faulty or damaged on receipt, you must notify us within 7 days of receiving them (via email or telephone) quoting your order reference. We cannot be held responsible for goods that do not arrive with the customer due to errors made by the customer when entering their address details. Please ensure that you check all your details before confirming your order. For more information on deliveries, please click here.