Alexis Ciesla

Concerto for Clarinets

This concert written for clarinet ensemble and solo clarinet present itself in form of a dance suite, which each of its four movements featuring one of the instruments of the clarinet family. The last three movements can also be performed with a Bb clarinet.The first piece - vivacious and thrilling - bears the title 'Fantasia' and is perfectly tailored to bring out the Bb clarinet's vigor and suppleness. The second movement is a 'Habañera', both melancholic and effervescent, where the bass clarinet extends its performance over the whole tonal range of the instrument. The following 'Scherzo' is dedicated to the basset horn, cheerfully swirling from a classical to a swinging phrase to finally end in a brilliant and virtuoso coda. The concerto winds up in a 'Tarentella', an Italian inspired dance, where the Eb clarinet puts all its roguishness and dynamics into the service of the healing process from the redoubtable bite of the tarantula...