Program Notes
Three Pieces for Solo Clarinet (1918) - Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky's 3 Pieces for Clarinet Solo is an established standard of the classical clarinetists repertoire. Stravinsky's Three Pieces were composed in 1918 in Morges, Switzerland and dedicated to Werner Reinhart. This dedication is fascinating because Reinhart was an amateur clarinetist of the time. Given the extreme technical difficulties in Stravinsky's composition, Reinhart must have been quite a well trained performer for an amateur because even for today's professionals, these three pieces are quite difficult. Another challenge for any performer undertaking this composition is Stravinsky's desire for every detail to be performed exactly how he has indicated. In the performance notes located in the front of the musical score, Stravinsky indicates that "The breath marks, accents and metronome marks indicated in the 3 pieces should be strictly adhered to." Unlike most other standard repertoire for the clarinet, where the performer would be expected to add additional expressive elements other than what is written, Stravinsky is demanding the exact opposite. Stravinsky's three pieces are written in three separate short movements. The first two movements are to be performed on clarinet in A, and the last on clarinet in Bb.
-Note By Andrew J. Buckley
Alice (2021) - Geneviève Cecile
Geneviève Cecile's Alice is a piece in three movements which capsulizes and synthesizes the experiences of vulnerability, manipulation, and serenity. With playfully daunting motivic manipulations, and dancelike banter between the clarinet and piano, Alice's character is born. Inspired by the imagery and storytelling of Dana Terrace, Rebecca Sugar, and Leslie Bricusse along with the whimsical soundscapes of Bruno Coulais and aiva & surasshu, Geneviève Cecile personifies false comfort, nightmarish conflict, and vengeful repose.
-Note by Genevieve Cecile
-Note by Genevieve Cecile
Five Short Pieces for Clarinet & Piano (2021) - Daixuan Ai
This piece was a compositional exercise of using the same melodic motives to create different movements with contrasting moods and styles. Another goal of this piece was to explore and showcase the wide range of colors, emotions, and techniques that a solo clarinet can present. As one of the most versatile woodwind instruments with drastically different timbres from octave to octave, solo clarinet never fails to entertain. The five miniature movements in this piece are packed with different characters, providing the audiences a light-hearted yet adventurous listening experience.
-Note by Daixuan Ai
-Note by Daixuan Ai
Delos (2021) - Tyler Kowal
In ancient Greek, Delos means "something that can be seen." The island got its name because it was seen coming out of the waves. According to the myth, Leto, a Titan goddess and one of Zeus' lovers, was about to give birth to Artemis and Apollo but Hera, Zeus' wife and Queen of the Gods, hunted her down. She was upset that her husband had a secret affair and ordered that no land would accept Leto to give birth on. Zeus asked his brother Poseidon for help and the god of the sea touched the waves with his trident, allowing a small island full of rocks to appear in the middle of the Cyclades. Delos was unanchored according to myth, so it didn't technically count as 'land,' thereby circumventing Hera's curse. It was here where Leto finally found shelter and brought to life the two new Gods of Olympus.
Played in two movements, Delos or, something that can be seen, details Leto's banishment and betrayal from Mount Olympus and the journey she went on to find her new island home, all while preparing to give birth to two very important members of the Greek Pantheon. The second movement gives insight to an imagined day in the life of the two fledgling Olympians and their Titaness mother living on the island of Delos.
-Note by Tyler Kowal
Played in two movements, Delos or, something that can be seen, details Leto's banishment and betrayal from Mount Olympus and the journey she went on to find her new island home, all while preparing to give birth to two very important members of the Greek Pantheon. The second movement gives insight to an imagined day in the life of the two fledgling Olympians and their Titaness mother living on the island of Delos.
-Note by Tyler Kowal
Five Half-Remembered Songs (2021) - Christian Quiñones
I’ve always been interested in the concept of musical memories and how they get affected by time. When I started working on this piece, I became interested in remembering the music I used to listen to when I was 15 or 16. Mostly indie rock bands that I have not listened to in years but became a big part of my musical upbringing. And when I tried to uncover those memories, many of those details got distorted. The result was a fuzzy, overall picture where most of the nuances got lost to time.
For this piece, each movement represents a different area that seemed to be misremembered. From rhythm to harmony, to melody, the piece takes half-remembered musical memories and instead of filling the blanks or trying to uncover a clear memory of how these songs go, I focus on the unclear and fuzzy bits. Those parts where I am not sure how the melody or harmony goes. Framed by three interludes that explore the melodic common thread of the piece, each movement creates different instances or possible outcomes of how these fragmented musical ideas might sound.
-Note by Christian Quinones
For this piece, each movement represents a different area that seemed to be misremembered. From rhythm to harmony, to melody, the piece takes half-remembered musical memories and instead of filling the blanks or trying to uncover a clear memory of how these songs go, I focus on the unclear and fuzzy bits. Those parts where I am not sure how the melody or harmony goes. Framed by three interludes that explore the melodic common thread of the piece, each movement creates different instances or possible outcomes of how these fragmented musical ideas might sound.
-Note by Christian Quinones