quartet for clarinet, trombone, cello, and piano
or trio for clarinet, violin, and piano
5 minutes
for gnarwhallaby
detailed instrumentation:
quartet: clarinet in A, cello (with wooden mute), trombone (harmon w/o stem), piano
trio: clarinet in A, violin (with wooden mute), piano
Program Note:
This piece was originally a trio for violin, clarinet, and piano. The only time this version has ever been performed was the first time that I met Richard Valitutto. At the time, I had no idea he would become such an important part of my life. The piece is an exercise in economy. It was commissioned (but never performed) by the New York Miniaturist Ensemble, who specify that their pieces should consist of 100 or fewer “notes.” The title comes from a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke.
[translated by Edward Snow]
Now we wake up with our memory
And fix our gazes on that which was;
Whispering sweetness, which once coursed through us,
Sits silently beside us with loosened hair