Charles Koechlin – Sonata for Bassoon and Piano

The *Sonata for Bassoon and Piano* is an exemplar of Koechlin’s compositional style. The first and third movement are harmonically complex, combining French impressionism with more modern elements like rapidly shifting meter (at one point using a time signature of 6 and a half quarter notes per measure, which I have simplified in this edition to 5/4+3/8 as the rhythmic grouping is consistent) and bitonality. The second movement, though, is in one consistent meter, marked 6.5/4 in the mnanuscript, with a consistent rhythmic grouping of 5/4+3/8. (For the purpose of this edition, I have chosen to notate the second movement in this additive signature rather than the original for the purpose of ease of reading.) Additionally, this movement has a striking resemblance to Frédéric Chopin’s opus 28 Prelude #13 in F♯ major. Both have an ABA form, a meandering ostinato in the “left hand” (here both in the left hand of the piano and occasionally in the bassoon part), and a melody in the style of a nocturne. To whit, the movement here even takes Nocturne as its title.