Sonata A major

The biography of the reserved and withdrawn composer Johanna Senfter is not characterized by any outstanding events or incidents. Born in Oppenheim on the Rhine on 27 November 1879, the composer chose to live on the Sparrhof, her family's estate, all her life until her death on 11 August 1961. Her amazing musicality already showed at an early age and was early recognized and actively encouraged by her parents. Max Reger repeatedly testified to his pupil's 'extraordinary compositional talent'. The works by Johanna Senfter are mainly influenced by Brahms and Reger, but she knew pretty soon how to further develop Reger's personal style individually in her own works without ever crossing the - widely drawn - boundaries of a harmony based on the functional theory. The time of creation of the Sonata for A clarinet (or viola) and piano Op. 57 can only be estimated: probably around 1925. There is only solid evidence of the place and date of the world premiere: Karlsruhe, 8 December 1932. This edition of the previously unprinted sonata is based on the composer's autograph kept at the library of the Cologne Academy of Music.