Concerto for Clarinet and Wind Ensemble

Concerto for Clarinet and Wind Ensemble is a single-movement work for solo clarinet and a chamber wind ensemble. The piece is constructed in 3 large sections; it begins with a moderately fast introduction, a clarinet cadenza, and a dance-like allegro, which pits the solo clarinet's winding chromatic arpeggios against the ensemble's short, secco chords. The second large section illustrates the different color combinations of the instrumental families in the wind ensemble. The woodwinds begin with an airy contrapuntal section, reinterpreting the solo clarinet's boisterous chromatic figures into a softer, almost nostalgic gesture. The rest of the ensemble then joins in, slowly growing to forte, and erupting in a large chorale that continually crescendos and accelerates until the first climax. The tutti segment is disrupted at the start of the third large section. The solo clarinet takes over now in a dramatic and wild allegro. The chromatic figure from the second section is reinterpreted again as the driving melody in the solo clarinet, winding up and down at an almost dizzying rate. The different instrumental sections pass off the melody to each other, gradually building to the second climax. The solo clarinet sings its cadenza again, this time synthesizing material from each of the large sections. As the solo clarinet recalls the opening of the third section, the ensemble enters and pushes the tempo forward. A piercing trill in the solo clarinet signals that the end is near as the ensemble crescendos and climbs toward the final, most intense climax of the piece.