The Romantic composer Johannes Brahms had already retired in 1890 when he became captivated by the clarinet.
The German musician had traditionally penned tunes for the piano and other string instruments but it was his “discovery” of the clarinet — and his friendship with clarinetist Richard Muhlfeld — that drew Brahms back to his writing table.
Today, his Clarinet Sonatas —Opus 120 Nos. 1 (in F-minor) and 2 (in E-flat major) — are considered among the best of the clarinet repertoire.
And, next Wednesday, two of the province’s most celebrated artists will perform the latter at a show in Coquitlam.
Pianist Sarah Hagen will welcome clarinetist Francois Houle to the Evergreen Cultural Centre stage as part of her Musical Mornings classical series.
The E-flat major sonata they will play will be the foundation of their program, which also includes Francis Poulenc’s Clarinet Sonata in B-flat.
Hagen, who will be performing with Houle for the first time, said she has also become inspired by the sound the clarinet makes when weaved with piano music.
She has played the Brahms sonatas in the past but with a violist. “They’re completely different pieces,” Hagen said. “The clarinet is such a pure sound. It can play much softer and still be heard. The sounds can go in and out of each other, which is what Brahms was aiming for.”
Hagen met Houle in Victoria at a BC Arts Council event. “I thought, ‘This is someone I’m meant to play’ but it took some time to coordinate,” she said.
Houle, who studied at McGill University with Emilio Iacurto (principal clarinetist with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra) and at Yale University with Keith Wilson, is no stranger to the Evergreen crowd having performed at last year’s QuiRing the New Year’s concert with Coquitlam’s own Reg Quiring and Rosemary O’Connor.
• Tickets for Musical Mornings are $20/$15 by calling 604-927-6555 or visiting evergreenculturalcentre.ca. Next on the series roster is Marcus Takizawa (viola, Feb. 3), Soren Bebe (jazz piano, March 9) and the Bergmann piano duo (April 13).
