Johannes Brahms의 Clarinet Sonata Op.120 No.2에 관한 분석 연구

Abstract

In the Romantic of 19th Century, Johannes Brahms, the master of chamber music, indicated a conventional characteristics. His music constructed based on Classical inclinations with the expression of Romantic ideas. The author examined the changes of the characteristics of his chamber music through the composition time, his use of traditional Sonata form, and the writing style of 『Clarinet Sonata Op.120, No.2』through the balance between two instruments of Clarinet and Piano. Clarinet Sonata Op.120, No.2 was composed in 1894 with three movements. The 1st movement is in typical Sonata form, the 2nd movement in compound ternary form, and the 3rd movement shows the variation form. These characteristics represented a typical influence of Classical instrumental form clothed in the German Romanticism. For the use of melody and theme, eight-measure thematic phrase which contains four-measure antecedent and four-measure consequent phrase, repeats and recapitulates in each movement. In harmonic language, fluent modulation in close and remote key relationships, sudden modulation using enharmonic, unresolved cadences, and mixture of Major and minor key produce his prominent tone color. In addition, the imitation between Clarinet and Piano based on the contrapuntal character presents strong harmonic progression and intimate structure as well as the melodic contour producing the scene of dialogue. In short, Clarinet Sonata Op.120, No.2 well represented Johannes Brahms’ unique musical world such as matured lyrical melody and peculiar modulation upon the Classical Sonata form. Thus, Clarinet became a prominent instrument in chamber music through the introduction of this Clarinet Sonata.