Javier Zalba

Pequeño Divertimento Para Tres Clarinetistas

The composition 'Pequeño Divertimento para Tres Clarinetistas' (A Little Divertimento for Three Clarinets) originated from an encounter of our group of three friends and fellow musicians during a visit of Lester Alexis' - clarinetist, teacher and member of the French Rouen Opera Orchestra - to Havana/Cuba in 2010. A student of Professor Vicente Monterrey's, to whom I dedicated 'Canción para un Clarinetista' (published by Advance Music), Lester is actually one of the most renowned young clarinetists having emerged from the Cuban school of clarinet playing. In this piece, which is composed in the form of a divertimento, special attention is paid to basic aspects of technique to be found within Cuban music such as syncopations and off-beats, the corresponding articulations of which have been indicated in the music to facilitate their correct interpretation. Each single clarinet is given the opportunity of appearing as the soloist instrument as well as an accompanying instrument, thus enabling the individual clarinetists of the ensemble to execute different options within one and the same piece of music. When taking the part of an accompanying player, each of the musicians should be sure to maintain the tempo and not lose the feel for it in order to avoid 'moments of rhythmical confusion'. The accurate execution of the accents will surely help to achieve this goal. I hope this composition will be to the liking of the great family of clarinetists, to whom it is actually dedicated.