Clarinet

with Piano and 2 Percussion

From composer Ethan Wickman:

“Angles of Repose draws the inspiration for its title from Wallace Stegner’s novel about an itinerant mining engineer and his family as they struggle to prosper in the American West. In Stegner’s work, the title refers simultaneously to the angle at which granular materials achieve stability on a slope and the forces of fortune and consequence that ultimately shape the lives of its protagonists. I have become increasingly interested in the way that physical forces create analogues for social, emotional, interpersonal and even musical ones. While this piece does not pictorially narrate the physical phenomenon, it aspires to translate the interplay of these forces into musical ones.”

This work is in three contrasting movements: I. Angle of Displacement, II. Forlorn Angles and III. Angle of Acceleration.

Duet for B-Flat or C instruments

with Woodwind accompaniment (2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 3 Clarinets, 2 Bassoons, Horn, and Double Bass)

Flute. Oboe or Clarinet and Bassoon

I. Inception

II. Interruption

III. Conversation

IV. Resolution

with Piano

Alison Stuart is the nom de plume (using their middle names) for the composing team of Debra Alexander and James Grant, both award-winning artists and dedicated teachers who have joined forces to compose melodically lyrical and harmonically rich new music specifically for, but not limited to, middle and high school bands, string orchestras and recitalists. Their music is available exclusively through Potenza Music Publishers.

With a memorable melody and a rich harmonic underpinning, this version of At Peace: Commemoration for clarinet and piano celebrates and honors the historical events and significant people who have passed from our lives. Originally composed for band, At Peace: Commemoration was commissioned by Lead Commissioner Dr. Josh Byrd and the University of West Georgia Wind Ensemble, with assistance from a consortium of participating commissioning ensembles.

This version of At Peace: Commemoration includes three separate clarinet parts to accommodate players of all levels: those who are in their early studies; those who are playing at the intermediate level; and those who are more advanced. The piano accompaniment remains the same in all three versions. The intermediate and advanced versions of the clarinet part simply extend the range and rhythmic palette.

with Clarinet Ensemble:

E-flat Clarinet, 4 B-flat Clarinets, 2 Bass Clarinets and Contrabass Clarinet

Composer Jonathan Russell writes, “My basic idea when I conceived of the Bass Clarinet Double Concerto was the Weber Clarinet Concertos meet heavy metal music. On the one hand, I have spent many hours over the years practicing Weber’s clarinet concertos and have always enjoyed the over-the-top virtuosity and flashiness of these pieces. On the other, I have been a fan since middle school of Guns N’ Roses, Metallica and other hard rock and heavy metal bands, and I already channel heavy metal through the bass clarinet as a member of the Edmund Welles bass clarinet quartet. When it came to writing a bass clarinet double concerto, it thus seemed logical (to me) to try and combine the heaviness and raw power of heavy metal with the dancing virtuosity and lyricism of Weber’s concertos… The piece was composed for my bass clarinet duo Sqwonk, and was premiered in December 2007 by Sqwonk and the San Francisco Composers’ Chamber Orchestra.”

with Piano

Jonathan Russell’s Bass Clarinet Double Concerto for two solo bass clarinets, with piano reduction of the orchestra was composed and premiered in 2007 and features the instrument in many different capacities. The composer had the Weber Clarinet Concertos and Heavy Metal music in mind while composing this remarkable Double Concerto. He employs many different musical elements, including improvisation, asymetrical meters, and lyrical phrasing.

unaccompanied

Josh Oxford writes, “When I was in elementary school, I was a big fan of the television show Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. Part of the show’s theme (‘Go go power rangers’) is embedded a few times in the piece and serves as the basis for a lot of the material. The piece prominently features the blues scale and the octatonic scale, often seamlessly moving from one scale to the other.”