Inadvertently, a friend raised a problem.

He recently took on the task of transposing -- for his instrument, the clarinet -- my six-movement “Suite for Viola & Piano.” Meticulous, he consulted with me. What to do when the viola plays ‘double stops,’ i.e., sounding two notes at once? which note shall the clarinet play?

I am grateful to this perfectionist. His final score looks better than mine do. Thanks to him, I will soon have a “new” piece to announce to my many clarinet-playing friends and fans.

One problem remains: the title.

The title “Suite for Clarinet and Piano” does not entice. It offers nothing. No enchantment, no excitement. It tells you only what you need to know.

“Meh.”

The individual movements have titles:

I. Assertion
II. Fantasy
III. Poem
IV. Lyric
V. Hymn
VI. Prayer

Perfectly fine, suitable, acceptable, mildly interesting. But none of them point to an over-arching, unifying title for the whole suite.

The word “suite” is a catch-all. What does it mean? A grab-bag, a hodge podge, a mish-mash, a potpourri.

None of those synonyms work as a title. Imagine if the piece was titled “Hodge Podge for Clarinet & Piano.” Cute, but cloying. Spare me!

I love a title that offers folks something they can masticate mentally as they listen or play.

Consider “The Swan” by Saint Saens, perhaps his most famous work. What if “The Swan” was titled, instead, “Study in G major.” Same music, mind you. Would people be drawn to the piece? The piece is lovely, a masterwork, one of my favorites … but a big part of its appeal is the image of the swan, expressed by the sound and the very SHAPE of the cello.

What if “Fanfare for the Common Man” was titled “Fanfare in B flat major” ?? Would it be as rousing?

Consider “The Moonlight Sonata.” (Yes, I know, Beethoven didn’t give the piece that title. It was chosen and approved, in effect, by masses of listeners.)

On the other hand, “Adagio for Strings” is not much of a title. Nor is “Pachelbel’s Canon.” Yet both are loved by millions.

Beethoven’s Symphony #5 in C minor doesn’t even try. There is no catchy subtitle. He is said to have explained the opening motif, saying, “Thus, Fate knocks.”

That’s something to ponder but I’m glad he didn’t saddle the work with that phrase as a subtitle. If he had, we’d call it the “Fate Knocks Symphony.” Please.

Failing to find a suitable serious title, I could turn to the absurd. Classical music is too serious and we can all do with a smile.

An absurd title is tempting but unfair to the music, which is heartfelt, carefully crafted, not a joke. An absurd title would undermine the stature of the piece, unjustly lowering expectations.

But … hypothetically, suppose I titled it:

“Six Plump Ladies on a Crowded Bus”
I. Gertrude
II. Hermione
IV. Honoria
V. Euterpe
VI. Winifred

I am certain — and I am serious when I say this — broadcasters on classical music radio stations would LOVE announcing a piece with a title like that. Lsteners would sit up and take notice.

But, again, the music itself is not “cute”, not like something by Leroy Anderson or PDQ Bach. It’s authentic music and intended to be taken seriously. If the suite had a title like that, it would be perceived as having offered comedy in the title and then having failed to deliver.

So … when all is said and done, I guess I’m stuck with the perfectly serviceable, abundantly adequate title, convincingly competent title:

“Suite for Clarinet & Piano” ….

“Zzzzzzzzz.” (I’m snoring.)

Neither the viola nor the clarinet versions have been recorded, so I cannot share any of the suite with you today.

However, the piece I DO want to share has an equally “satisfactory” title.

It’s simply the “Scherzo” from my Sonata for Clarinet and Piano which I call the “Kassner Sonata” because it was written for and is dedicated to my late friend Kurt Kassner. But that is another story and shall be told another day.

For now, let’s listen to clarinetist Christopher Bade and pianist Greg Kostraba -- the musicians featured on “Full Circle,” the just-released CD of my music -- playing the “Scherzo” movement and wonderfully well:
click on the link above. There's also a link to a PDF of the score.

The CD on which this sonata is featured is titled “Full Circle” and that CD, or any of the CDs of my music, can be purchased at kickshawrecords.com.

I'd love to know what you think about this music; reply if you're inclined. But please don't feel that you are expected to reply. I'm just glad to share my work in this way.

As always, feel free to forward this message to friends who might enjoy it.

Anyone can be on my little list of recipients for these mpFrees (as I call these musical emails). To sign up, people can email me at rick@sowash.com, sending just one word: "Yes." I'll know what it means.

Rick Sowash
Cincinnati, OH
Aug. 30, 2026
www.sowash.com