Eleven

9 Clarinets and 2 Bass Clarinets

ELEVEN was written for the San Francisco Conservatory clarinet studio as a companion piece to Steve Reich’s New York Counterpoint (both are scored for 9 Bb and 2 bass clarinets). I am a great admirer of Reich’s intricately interlocking patterns, jazzy harmonic palette, and rhythmic vitality, but I am less patient than he is. I want the patterns to change more rapidly, I want more dramatic shifts, and I tend to prefer more narrative forms. In ELEVEN, I use very Reich-ish materials, but treat them in a freer, more narrative, more whimsical manner than he would. This piece is both an homage to a composer I greatly admire, and a declaration of independence from the strict processes and careful control that characterize his music.

–Jonathan Russell