Denys Ilyushenko

Poulenc wrote Sonata for Horn, Trumpet and Trombone during the neo-classical period of writing. It was the period where composers took some ideas from the Classical Period and developed them further. Specific features of this period are shown throughout his piece. To begin with, Poulenc still uses the ternary form of the Classical sonata, but he shortened down the movements. His Sonata lasts only 90-100 bars. This is a stylish feature of Neo-Classical music which is applicable to all the composers writing in that style. One of the features of the period is experimenting with the instruments. A lot of composers composed for instruments that dont quite sound right together. For example Poulencs Sonata is for Horn, Trumpet and Trombone. This is specific to neo-classical, as you will never find any Classical composers writing only for brass or only for woodwinds, etc. Furthermore, the instruments in the Classical period were not developed enough to play some of the phrases in this Sonata, so it can only be performed by the modern instruments. The piece uses the melodic, harmonic and rhythmic features that are not found in Classical music. Poulenc uses a lot of Jazz chords and dissonance as well as frequent change of time signatures and Syncopation. This add a new colour to the piece, making it sound more modern, hence it is appropriate to say that these features make the piece Neo-Classical.