Klarinet Archive - Posting 000174.txt from 2004/05
From: Bear Woodson <bearwoodson@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Bear Woodson's new "Clarinet Quintet"
Date: Sun, 9 May 2004 06:11:08 -0400
Hello, Clarinetists.
I am pleased to announce that the other week
ago, I finished my Quintet for Clarinet and Strings.
It is a very lyrical work, and I think people will
like it.
Unlike the usual String Quartet scoring, I use
only one Violin, with Viola and Cello, and a
String Bass! I made a deliberate point of sharing
the Accompaniment Melodies among ALL the
string players, and NOT just giving them to the
Violin. Therefore even the String Bass gets some
nice solos, including being featured in the "Aria"
movement with a Solo before the Clarinet enters,
and later in the movement in a Duet with the
Clarinet.
To avoid being accused of being too intellectual,
I made this work to be Lyrical, and avoided most of
my fugal urges, by opting for the Singability of the
melodies. (The Scherzo movement has the usual
ABA Form, but the strings use pizzicati only for
the whole movement. The Second Scherzo is the
First Scherzo in "Inversion" [meaning that all the
melodies are carefully written-out "Upside-Down"
and STILL harmonize!]. And before someone goes
into a 12-Tone-Panic, Inversion and "Retrograde"
["Backwards"], have been used by a few masters
Since the LATE MIDDLE AGES by Modal and
Tonal composers! ALL of my harmony, in all my
works, including this one, is Chromatic Modality!
I never did like, NOR USE, 12-Tone Methods.)
Other than the Second Scherzo being in Inver-
sion, I put one, small Fugato in the "C" Section of
the 7-Part Rondo (ABACADA). The "D" Section
is a Cadenza! And each time the "A" Section returns,
I lengthen the Rhythms and Meters of the melody,
which has also been used for centuries, (including
in some forms of "Cool" Jazz)!
I think people will find it all to be an endearing
and fun work.
"Quintet for Bb Clarinet and Violin, Viola, Cello
and String Bass" (April 2004, 4 mvts., 19 min.)
I Arch Form (Moderato -
Allegro - Moderato) 5' 40"
II Scherzo: Vivace birichinoso
(quickly mischievously) 3' 05"
III Aria: Adagio 4' 40"
IV Rondo: Moderato 5' 35"
total time: 19' 00"
Now I am working on, what I was originally
planning to be, an "Optional 5th Movement", that
would be where I dump all my fugal urges! I have
made enough progress in writing it, that I now
know I WILL complete it, BUT it will more likely
have to be a "Companion Work" to the Quintet,
because it is likely to be over 10 minutes long all
by itself!
I hope to exceed my former fugal accomplish-
ments (which is a big goal, when you realize I've
already Invented a few NEW Kinds of Fugues,
and have broken many historic records for
Counterpoint). What I've already sketched is
enough to send our Fugal-Phobic Friends on this
List screaming out the door! (Isn't it funny that
they DON'T run out the door, screaming, when
they hear the famous, glorious Double Fugues in
the Fourth Movements of the Mozart "Jupiter"
and Beethoven Ninth, Symphonies!?!?! You
don't suppose they've Got Problems???)
But contrary to their petty accusations, my
biggest struggles with each work is how Lyrical
(Singable) the melodies are! I usually research
and re-write Main Themes of a work for months,
before I'm satisfied that they are Musical Enough!
Once that's done, doing the "Counterpoint Sketch
Pages" (to see how it will work in Canons or
Fugues), is mere Busy Work, which most com-
posers either don't want to do, or have no training
in doing them properly, even if they wanted to do
so. Then the work of writing it all down, goes
very quickly!
Optional "5th Movement" or "Companion Work":
V Fugue ?' ??"
Whether I keep the Fugal 5th Movement or not,
the 4-Movement Clarinet Quintet (like many of
my Clarinet Works) is dedicated to Professor Joze
Kotar, of the Music Academy in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
I still haven't sent him the score of it yet, (nor of the
score of the "Sextet for Clarinet Ensemble" that I
completed last Summer), but once I do, NO ONE
will be allowed to see or perform it until AFTER
Professor Kotar has given the Premiere Live
Performance and Premiere Recording of it, (which
is also true of other works dedicated to him). I
still think it will be well received by audiences,
clarinetists and string players.
I gotta get back to the Happy Farm. This is
Crayon Night, and since they have neither sugar
nor cholesterol, I get to have all the crayons I can
eat!
Bear Woodson
Composer in Tucson, Arizona, USA
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