Double Bass Clarinet Concerto by Jonathan Russell

Jon's basic idea when he conceived of the Duo Bass Clarinet Concerto was Heavy Metal meets the German early nineteenth century composer Carl Maria von Weber. The first music he really fell in love with as a teenager was Guns N' Roses, Metallica, and other hard rock and heavy metal bands. More recently, for the past year and a half, he has been a member of the Edmund Welles bass clarinet quartet, which channels the spirit and power of heavy metal through the deep sonorities of four bass clarinets. Jon knows Weber's music largely from practicing his clarinet concertos extensively as in high school and college, and he has always enjoyed the over-the-top virtuosity and flashiness of these pieces. In pondering a duo bass clarinet concerto, it seemed logical to try to combine the heaviness and raw power of heavy metal with the dancing virtuosity and lyricism of Weber's concertos. The resulting piece doesn't necessarily borrow explicitly from either heavy metal or Weber, but the underlying spirit of the work comes from the combination of these two sources. The resulting piece is in one movement, but with three distinct sections roughly corresponding to the traditional fast-slow-fast three movements of a classical concerto. The first section, after a slow introduction, is groovy and dancey, with the bass clarinets establishing grooves and then taking off on virtuosic excursions as the orchestra takes on the grooves. The second, slower section features a soaring melody in sweet thirds in the bass clarinets over undulating chords in the strings. After a cadenza, the third section brings back the groove from the beginning, with much virtuosic ornamentation by the bass clarinets building into a climactic ending.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• classical
• symphony
• orchestra
• new
• music
• Bass
• Clarinet
• modern
• chamber
• composer
• composition

[jonhadas]

What are the names of the soloists?? are they playing Selmer or Buffet?

[SFCCO]

@jonhadas: Jonathan Russell, the composer of the work, is one of the soloist, Jeff Anderle is the other. They refer to themselves as the Sqwonk Duo.

[TheJLC91]

where can I find the scores for this piece?

[SFCCO]

@TheJLC91 You'll need to contact the composer, Jonathan Russell, directly.

[RaptorShadow13]

Where was this performed?

[SFCCO]

In San Francisco by the San Francisco Composers Chamber Orchestra at Old First Concerts.

[laurenlovesbass]

any song dedicated to bass clarinets always sound awesome.

why dont composers take the hint and MAKE MORE OF THEM!

[lookwoman98]

dear god, the high notes, THE HIGH NOTES!

[jonrussell20]

@Juliowolfgang 1979

[Juliowolfgang]

Does somebody knows when the composer was born? Thank you.

[happydays8989]

I LOVE the bass clarinet. the sounds is so perfect and makes me wish i could practice mine = /

[theblueTACO]

Oh. My. God. I've NEVER heard notes that high come out of a bass!!! Unless they were completely unwanted and unintentional, of course!!! It's so awesome to see more and more appreciation for the best instrument ever created. Love it! Where can I get the score for this? I must have it!!!

[Jimbothenoob]

This is amazing!

[Starmast3r]

This song just manifests the awesomeness that is the bass clarinet.

[venskus2009]

yaaaahhhhh

[venskus2009]

@jonhadas i dont know the name, but those are buffets..

[EFJify]

HOLY~ !! I have 2 more days to master this instrument (bass clarinet) which I was given barely 2 months to learn and master (I have been a Bb clarinetist ever since I joined band - for 6 years - and it's the first time I touched such a huge instrument). And it depresses me to no end listening to professionals, hoping to be just like them T.T

[ashleybrown013]

SEXY BASS CLARINET<3