THREE NEW KLEZMER TUNES (solo clarinet and clarinet choir)

INSTRUMENTATION: Solo Clarinet and Clarinet Choir (Bb clarinet 1-3, alto clarinet, bass clarinet 1-2, contra-alto clarinet, contrabass clarinet) DURATION: c. 18:00 YEAR COMPOSED: 2026 This work is currently under consortium exclusivity. It will become available for purchase beginning on August 1st, 2027. PROGRAM NOTE: "Three New Klezmer Tunes" is more or less what it sounds like: three newly composed tunes in klezmer style, for solo clarinet and clarinet choir. I have background in klezmer clarinet, classical clarinet, and classical composition, and this piece is really a fusion of all three. In composing it, I sought neither to be self-consciously "authentic" to the klezmer tradition, nor to self-consciously "modernize" it, but to simply follow my ear and instinct, trusting that my years of immersion in both klezmer and classical composition would create an authentic fusion of its own. The tunes themselves are straightforwardly klezmer-y, with my classical composition training coming to bear more on the clarinet choir parts, with their slightly-adventurous harmonies and occasionally-complex counterpoint. The solo part is designed to be suitable both for seasoned klezmer performers, who can add ornamentation and klezmer inflections as they like, as well as for those with primarily classical background dipping their toes into klezmer for the first time. The first tune is up-tempo and fiery; the second is slow, soulful, and a bit mournful; and the third engages in the age-old cheap (yet effective) trick of starting slow and then getting faster and faster. As a set, I believe they take the listener on a compelling emotional journey that is both deeply klezmer-y and emblematic of my particular compositional voice. The work was commissioned by a consortium of 27 individuals / organizations, led by the Plattsburgh Clarinet Choir.