About this work:
Program note.
In 1997, I wrote “Yo Picasso” for clarinetist Nancy Braithwaite and the Arto Ensemble; scored for clarinet, viola, cello and piano. The work is in five movements, each a musical interpretation of a painting by Pablo Picasso. Fifteen years later Nancy told me she has a new group called the Emmelos Ensemble and they are planning to perform the Schubert Octet in F major, D. 803, in the spring of 2012. She asked me if I would be interested in writing a companion work with the same instrumentation as the Schubert. She also mentioned that Schubert’s inspiration was based on Beethoven’s Septet in E-flat major, opus 20. I said, “Sure. It sounds like a great idea.” My Octet in D, opus 144 (2012) is, like the Beethoven and the Schubert, in six movements. The instrumentation is, like the Schubert, scored for Bb clarinet, bassoon, horn in F, string quartet and contrabass.
1. Prelude … Moderato; Scherzo … Prestissimo!
2. Arioso … Allegro con moto
3. Numinoso … Largo
4. Alla Marcia … Allegretto
5. Recitativo … Adagio; Canzone … Adagio
6. Bacchanale … Prestissimo!
Unlike the Schubert, which is an hour long in duration, mine is just a little over 20 minutes. Enjoy!!!