Description
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.”
Solo Parts Included: Solo Bass Clarinet 1, Solo Bass Clarinet 2, Clarinet Choir (Eb Clarinet, Bb Clarinets 1-4, Bass Clarinets 1-2, Contrabass Clarinet)
