{"title":"All Original Compositions","description":"\u003cp\u003eHere you can find only Jon's original compositions, for any ensemble, but no arrangements of pre-existing works\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"unhinged-carnival-fanfare-machine-orchestra","title":"UNHINGED CARNIVAL FANFARE MACHINE (orchestra)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: \u003cspan\u003eOrchestra -- 2 fl (picc), 2 ob (EH), 2 Bb cl (Eb cl), 2 bsn, 3 tpt, 4 hn, 3 tbn, tba, hp, 2 perc, timp, strings\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDURATION: c. 6:30\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2012\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"100%\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A155228703\u0026amp;color=%23ff5500\u0026amp;auto_play=false\u0026amp;hide_related=true\u0026amp;show_comments=false\u0026amp;show_user=true\u0026amp;show_reposts=false\u0026amp;show_teaser=false\u0026amp;visual=true\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/jonathan-russell-22\" title=\"Jonathan Russell\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eUnhinged Carnival Fanfare Machine\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is a boisterous, brash, concert-opener sort of a piece. It is built out of repeating bits of twisted fanfares, odd arpeggios, and off-kilter grooves that are layered, juxtaposed, and re-arranged in different ways, forming an ever-shifting kaleidoscope of riffs and colors. After a climactic build-up, the clarinets introduce a more lyrical, contemplative mood, with soaring violin melodies and steady percussion grooves — but also sinister trombone glissandi lurking in the background. Bassoons in low thirds interrupt and the music is swept back into the mad carnival of the opening.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643574886638,"sku":null,"price":175.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/UnhingedCarnivalFanfareMachine-FINAL.jpg?v=1790900154"},{"product_id":"the-cocktail-party-choir","title":"THE COCKTAIL PARTY (choir)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: 8 Voices (SSAATTBB)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDURATION: c. 4:30\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2013\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of vocal score in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"100%\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A155228471\u0026amp;color=%23ff5500\u0026amp;auto_play=false\u0026amp;hide_related=true\u0026amp;show_comments=false\u0026amp;show_user=true\u0026amp;show_reposts=false\u0026amp;show_teaser=false\u0026amp;visual=true\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe\u2029 Cocktail \u2029Party\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u2029takes\u2029 as \u2029its \u2029text\u2029 snippets \u2029of \u2029the \u2029sort \u2029of \u2029somewhat\u2029 inane\u2029 conversation \u2029you\u2029 might\u2029 overhear\u2029 (or\u2029 engage \u2029in) \u2029at \u2029a \u2029cocktail \u2029party.\u2029 This\u2029 text\u2029 is\u2029 set \u2029in\u2029 a\u2029\u2029 saccharine-yet-slightly-creepy \u2029barbershop \u2029quartet style.\u2029 The\u2029 result\u2029 is\u2029 meant \u2029to \u2029occupy\u2029 an\u2029 uncomfortable \u2029space\u2029 in\u2029 between \u2029mock‐\u2029 and\u2029 genuine \u2029beauty.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643574952174,"sku":null,"price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/thecocktailpartyp2.jpg?v=1790891505"},{"product_id":"supra-bass-clarinet-version","title":"SUPRA (9 bass clarinets)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: 9 Bass Clarinets\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDURATION: c. 10:00\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2012\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kqZ5GALZTsU?si=blAn0qlNDzgio1kY\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eSupra\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is inspired by the folk music of the Republic of Georgia. In fall 2011, I started singing in a Georgian choir, and became increasingly fascinated by Georgian music and culture. A Supra is a traditional Georgian feast, used to celebrate a wide variety of occasions, from birthdays to weddings to holidays, featuring a constant flow of food and alcohol, impassioned toasts, stories, jokes, prayers, singing, and dancing. This composition draws on the harmonies and nuances of Georgian music, filtered through my own influences from minimalism, klezmer, and impressionism, to create a narrative loosely based on a supra feast. Beginning with the sunrise and a morning chorale, it proceeds through a prayer, feverish preparations for the dinner, feasting, dancing, and finally a triumphant return of the opening chorale, which gradually fades and melts back into the evening.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643575050478,"sku":null,"price":44.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/supra-bassclarinetnonet-FINALp1.jpg?v=1790891236"},{"product_id":"sonata-for-bass-clarinet-and-piano","title":"SONATA FOR BASS CLARINET AND PIANO","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: Bass Clarinet and Piano\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDURATION: c. 9:30\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2011\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/54icaOoIgCA?si=IcZUeFOft48T0HsL\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eSonata\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e for Bass Clarinet and Piano\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e was composed for my good friend, pianist Kate Campbell. She asked me to write something for a piano recital she was giving, but rather than writing a solo piano piece, I thought it would be fun to write something we could play together. The resulting piece contrasts jazzy riffs and grooves with quiet, lyrical sections, and is a true duet, with the piano in every way the bass clarinet’s equal.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643575214318,"sku":null,"price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/sonataforbassclarinetandpianoFINALp2.jpg?v=1790890170"},{"product_id":"runion-bass-clarinet-quartet","title":"RUNION (bass clarinet quartet)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: 4 Bass Clarinets\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDURATION: c. 5:00\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2006\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/t-2GzgpaS2Y?si=MjHV9B2CyVjYmGmZ\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eRunion\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e was composed for the Edmund Welles bass clarinet quartet, and it is heavily inspired by the music of its bandleader and composer Cornelius Boots. Boots’ music, due to his heavy metal roots and many years of experience with the rich, deep sound of four bass clarinets, has a visceral and sonic directness and intensity that I much admire and that I sought to capture in my own way in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eRunion\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643575279854,"sku":null,"price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/Runionp1.jpg?v=1790889904"},{"product_id":"eleven-clarinet-ensemble","title":"ELEVEN (9 Bb clarinets and 2 bass clarinets)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: 9 Bb Clarinets and 2 Bass Clarinets\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDURATION: c. 10:00\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2010\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/T6n29C-8MpA?si=B55bOGDgY7Z7Ptr_\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eELEVEN\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e was written for the San Francisco Conservatory clarinet studio as a companion piece to Steve Reich’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew York Counterpoint \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e(both are scored for 9 Bb and 2 bass clarinets). I am a great admirer of Reich’s unique combination of intricately interlocking patterns, jazzy harmony, and propulsive rhythms, and I have been greatly influenced by his work. But while I admire much in his approach, I am ultimately a good deal less patient than he is – in my own compositions, I tend to want patterns to change more rapidly and dramatically, and to employ more narrative forms. In \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eELEVEN\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, I use very Reich-ish materials, but treat them in a freer, more narrative, more whimsical manner than he would. The piece is both an homage to a composer I greatly admire, and a declaration of independence from the strict processes and careful control that characterize his music.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643575247086,"sku":null,"price":44.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/ELEVEN-revisedfeb2015p3.jpg?v=1790889573"},{"product_id":"sqwonkzoforus-rex-2-bass-clarinets-piano-4-hands","title":"SQWONKZOFORUS REX (2 bass clarinets, piano 4-hands)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: 2 Bass Clarinets and Piano Four-Hands\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eDURATION: c. 18:30\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2011\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RlFiqmHOcmU?si=B7fI6kP2HU5LmssA\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eSqwonkzoforus Rex \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003ewas composed for my bass clarinet duo, Sqwonk, and the piano duo ZOFO. It came about when Sqwonk and ZOFO decided to split a concert program at Old First Church in San Francisco, and I couldn’t resist the opportunity to combine the two groups together in a new composition. As I thought about the piece, an image entered my mind of a fantastical piano-two-bass-clarinet beast. I pictured the two bass clarinets coming out of the back of the piano like two heads, or like antennae, or like a scorpion tail. And I pictured this beast lumbering through prehistoric swamps, heaving its body this way and that, snorting and bellowing. And I pictured it suddenly transported to our own time, and trying to fit in, trying and failing to “civilize” itself (with the assistance of a certain famous romantic Russian piano concerto, quoted in the piece). All of these images coalesced into an abstract sonic narrative that became \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eSqwonkzoforus Rex\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643575410926,"sku":null,"price":44.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/SqwonkzoforusRexp2.jpg?v=1790889166"},{"product_id":"claremont-suite-clarinet-choir","title":"CLAREMONT SUITE (clarinet choir)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: Clarinet Choir -- \u003cspan\u003eEb Clarinet, Bb Clarinets 1-3, Alto Clarinet  (alt. Bb 4 part included), Bass Clarinet 1-2, Contrabass Clarinet (alt. Bass 3 and Contra-alto parts included)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDURATION: c. 14:00\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2010\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCommissioned by the Claremont Clarinet Festival\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3q8fAXbb-Sk?si=AcKROAFzAkYutCVl\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eClaremont Suite\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e was composed for the 2011 Claremont Clarinet Festival, where I was Composer-in-Residence, and premiered by the festival’s clarinet choir. The first movement is an arrangement of a wind octet I wrote earlier in 2011 (2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns), which was composed as a companion piece to Mozart’s C minor Wind Serenade. I sought in this work to combine the clarity, resonance, and sense of drama that characterizes Mozart’s “Serenade” with my own expanded harmonic palette and driving rhythms. Movements 2 and 3 are arrangements of tunes I originally wrote for a klezmer band. It was challenging but also a lot of fun to take these tunes, both of which have very free, improvisatory sections, and arrange them into fully notated music for clarinet choir. The resulting three-movement suite takes full advantage of the vast range of colors and characters that the clarinet choir can produce, ranging from the thick chords of the opening to the jazz and klezmer riffs of the second movement, to the driving dance rhythms and virtuosic runs of the final movement.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643575378158,"sku":null,"price":49.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/claremontsuitescore-completep3.jpg?v=1790788025"},{"product_id":"klezduo-bass-clarinet-duet","title":"KLEZDUO (bass clarinet duet)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: 2 Bass Clarinets\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDURATION: c. 8:00\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2005\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VhZXwzGBZPk?si=MuJ8ccoKF0jRChnD\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eKlezDuo\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e was my attempt to bring together two musical worlds that are very important to me as a performer, but that are normally kept separate: klezmer music, and my bass clarinet duo, Sqwonk. It was great fun to combine these elements together into this raucous and joyous piece.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643575312622,"sku":null,"price":24.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/KlezDuop1.jpg?v=1790787565"},{"product_id":"quartet-for-four-clarinets","title":"QUARTET FOR FOUR CLARINETS (Eb, Bb, A, and bass clarinets)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: Clarinet Quartet (Eb Clarinet, Bb Clarinet, A Clarinet, and Bass Clarinet)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDURATION: c. 25:00\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2000\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"100%\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/playlists\/soundcloud%253Aplaylists%253A52989475\u0026amp;color=%23ff5500\u0026amp;auto_play=false\u0026amp;hide_related=true\u0026amp;show_comments=false\u0026amp;show_user=true\u0026amp;show_reposts=false\u0026amp;show_teaser=false\u0026amp;visual=true\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/jonathan-russell-22\" title=\"Jonathan Russell\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI wrote \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eQuartet for Four Clarinets\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e for my undergraduate senior thesis. In it, I wanted to achieve a synthesis of many of the fundamental skills I had been working on as a student. As my compositional thinking tends to be very harmony-based, I especially wanted to try to develop my contrapuntal chops. I studied a good deal of Bach while working on the piece, which strongly informs the highly contrapuntal middle movements. Another important influence was jazz music, especially the work of Charles Mingus. The improvisatory spirit, the singing, human melodic lines, and the vitality and energy of jazz was a breath of fresh air for me at a time when classical music was feeling stale. The spirit of Mingus is most obvious in the outer movements, with their swinging, jazzy melodies, but what I learned from studying jazz harmony pervades the entire piece.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643575345390,"sku":null,"price":49.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/clarinetquartet-FINALp3.jpg?v=1790787311"},{"product_id":"and-the-beast-bass-clarinet-duet","title":"...AND THE BEAST... (bass clarinet duet)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: 2 Bass Clarinets\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDURATION: c. 17:30\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2006\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LIH9D7HNGOo?si=e_l258fo3FYYkkbs\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e…and the Beast…\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e began its life as an exercise in tuning perfect fifths that grew and morphed into a depiction of a day in the life of the common beast. Each movement depicts a different action of the Beast — waking up, creeping, dancing (or trying to), attacking, and finally going to sleep.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643575509230,"sku":null,"price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/andtheBeast-COMPLETE-FINALp1.jpg?v=1790786995"},{"product_id":"groove-solo-bass-clarinet","title":"GROOVE (solo bass clarinet)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: Solo Bass Clarinet\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDURATION: c. 10:00\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2002\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"100%\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/playlists\/soundcloud%253Aplaylists%253A149486659\u0026amp;color=%23ff5500\u0026amp;auto_play=false\u0026amp;hide_related=true\u0026amp;show_comments=false\u0026amp;show_user=true\u0026amp;show_reposts=false\u0026amp;show_teaser=false\u0026amp;visual=true\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eGroove\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is the result of feeling stuck, frustrated, irritated and annoyed. In the fall of 2001 I was hard at work on an Epic, Serious, Important solo piano piece, when I hit a wall and simply could not get anywhere with it. Then one night I went to a classical chamber music concert by San Francisco Conservatory faculty, and I found myself so annoyed by the polite applause, by the players’ dandy little bowties, by the tastefulness and refinement of their playing, by all of the formalities and niceties that seemed to get in the way of direct communication of the music. After the performance, I went up to the practice room and vented by jamming on my bass clarinet. I liked what I was coming up with – it was raw, aggressive, unrefined and direct, everything I was missing from classical music at the time – and I started writing some of it down. Over the next few days I got down all of the ideas that would form the basis of ‘Groove’. I worked on this material off and on over the course of about a year until I finally molded it into its (hopefully) coherent yet still raw final form.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643575443694,"sku":null,"price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/GROOVEforsolobassclarinet-COMPLETEp1.jpg?v=1790786580"},{"product_id":"bass-clarinet-double-concerto-orchestra-version","title":"BASS CLARINET DOUBLE CONCERTO (2 solo bass clarinets and orchestra)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: 2 Solo Bass Clarinets and Orchestra (\u003cspan\u003eflute, oboe, bassoon, horn, piano, percussion, strings)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eDURATION: c. 15:00\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2007\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FwwMLUULl5s?si=fTWfON0RpXJrDLee\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMy basic idea for the Bass Clarinet Double Concerto was of Weber’s clarinet concertos meeting heavy metal. I am intimately familiar with both genres, through extensively practicing the Weber concertos in high school, and performing heavy metal bass clarinet tunes as a member of the Edmund Welles bass clarinet quartet. When it came to writing a bass clarinet double concerto, then, it seemed logical (to me) to try to combine the heaviness and raw power of heavy metal with the dancing virtuosity and lyricism of Weber’s concertos. While the resulting piece doesn’t necessarily borrow explicitly from either, the underlying spirit of the work – a mixture of heavy, driving grooves, virtuosically dancing lines, and tender lyricism – comes from the combination of these two sources. The piece was composed for my bass clarinet duo Sqwonk, and the original chamber orchestra version was premiered in December 2007 by Sqwonk and the San Francisco Composers’ Chamber Orchestra. The Bass Clarinet Double Concerto now exists in five versions: chamber orchestra, symphonic band, clarinet choir, mixed chamber ensemble, and piano. It has also been adapted into a double concerto for tenor and baritone saxophones.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643575541998,"sku":null,"price":195.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/BassClarinetDoubleConcerto-chamberorchestraversion-SCOREp3.jpg?v=1790782274"},{"product_id":"bass-clarinet-double-concerto-piano-reduction","title":"BASS CLARINET DOUBLE CONCERTO PIANO REDUCTION (2 bass clarinets and piano)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: 2 Bass Clarinets and Piano\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDURATION: c. 15:00\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2011\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"100%\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A378965174\u0026amp;color=%23ff5500\u0026amp;auto_play=false\u0026amp;hide_related=true\u0026amp;show_comments=false\u0026amp;show_user=true\u0026amp;show_reposts=false\u0026amp;show_teaser=false\u0026amp;visual=true\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMy basic idea for the Bass Clarinet Double Concerto was of Weber’s clarinet concertos meeting heavy metal. I am intimately familiar with both genres, through extensively practicing the Weber concertos in high school, and performing heavy metal bass clarinet tunes as a member of the Edmund Welles bass clarinet quartet. When it came to writing a bass clarinet double concerto, then, it seemed logical (to me) to try to combine the heaviness and raw power of heavy metal with the dancing virtuosity and lyricism of Weber’s concertos. While the resulting piece doesn’t necessarily borrow explicitly from either, the underlying spirit of the work – a mixture of heavy, driving grooves, virtuosically dancing lines, and tender lyricism – comes from the combination of these two sources. The piece was composed for my bass clarinet duo Sqwonk, and the original chamber orchestra version was premiered in December 2007 by Sqwonk and the San Francisco Composers’ Chamber Orchestra. The Bass Clarinet Double Concerto now exists in five versions: chamber orchestra, symphonic band, clarinet choir, mixed chamber ensemble, and piano. It has also been adapted into a double concerto for tenor and baritone saxophones.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643575607534,"sku":null,"price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/bassclarinetdoubleconcertoFINAL-pianoreductionp3.jpg?v=1790781928"},{"product_id":"skip-to-my-hocket-bass-clarinet-duet","title":"SKIP TO MY HOCKET (bass clarinet duet)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: 2 Bass Clarinets\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDURATION: c. 1:00\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2014\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCommissioned by Larry Brown.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/eX5UJ01Epq8?si=trZGD9eNpK8wIjbk\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643575673070,"sku":null,"price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/skiptomyhocketFINALp1_cf1b292f-7fd6-4022-bd1c-2a26120c3c9e.jpg?v=1790781679"},{"product_id":"bass-clarinet-concerto-piano-reduction","title":"BASS CLARINET CONCERTO PIANO REDUCTION (bass clarinet and piano)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: Bass Clarinet and Piano\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eDURATION: c. 22:00\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2014\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePiano reduction of the original version for orchestra.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e(recording is of orchestral version)\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"100%\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A174588670\u0026amp;color=%23ff5500\u0026amp;auto_play=false\u0026amp;hide_related=true\u0026amp;show_comments=false\u0026amp;show_user=true\u0026amp;show_reposts=false\u0026amp;show_teaser=false\u0026amp;visual=true\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eBass Clarinet Concerto\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is virtuosic, but not necessarily in a typical concerto sort of a way. Rather than lots of flashy runs and fast passagework, it features a virtuosically wide range of colors and approaches to the instrument, from aggressive grooving to lyrical soaring to altissimo wailing. Like many performer-composers before me, I sought to draw on my own strengths and idiosyncracies as a player to create music that, while technically impressive, was also quite comfortable and enjoyable to play. Especially notable are the extreme altissimo passages, with the instrument regularly playing in a range that would be considered high even on a “regular” Bb clarinet; and the use of “throat harmonics,” a technique that uses changes in throat position to create buzzy overtones of the fundamental pitch in the manner of a throat singer or didgeridoo player. The work is classically concerto-like in its conception, with a sense of dialog and interplay between soloist and ensemble. It is structured similarly to Aaron Copland’s 1948 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eClarinet Concerto\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, with a slow, lyrical first movement leading directly into a solo cadenza, which culminates in a fast and energetic second movement.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643575574766,"sku":null,"price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/bassclarinetconcertopianoreductionp3.jpg?v=1790781201"},{"product_id":"bass-clarinet-concerto-orchestra-version","title":"BASS CLARINET CONCERTO (solo bass clarinet and orchestra)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: Solo Bass Clarinet and Orchestra (\u003cspan\u003e3 fl (pic), 3 ob (EH), 3 cl (B Cl), 3 bsn (C Bn), 4 hn, 3 tpt, 3 tbn, 1 tba, timp + 3 perc, strings)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: c. 22:00\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2014\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"100%\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A174588670\u0026amp;color=%23ff5500\u0026amp;auto_play=false\u0026amp;hide_related=true\u0026amp;show_comments=false\u0026amp;show_user=true\u0026amp;show_reposts=false\u0026amp;show_teaser=false\u0026amp;visual=true\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis Bass Clarinet Concerto is virtuosic, but not necessarily in a typical concerto sort of a way. Rather than lots of flashy runs and fast passagework, it features a virtuosically wide range of colors and approaches to the instrument, from aggressive grooving to lyrical soaring to altissimo wailing. Like many performer-composers before me, I sought to draw on my own strengths and idiosyncracies as a player to create music that, while technically impressive, was also quite comfortable and enjoyable to play. Especially notable are the extreme altissimo passages, with the instrument regularly playing in a range that would be considered high even on a “regular” Bb clarinet; and the use of “throat harmonics,” a technique that uses changes in throat position to create buzzy overtones of the fundamental pitch in the manner of a throat singer or didgeridoo player. The work is classically concerto-like in its conception, with a sense of dialog and interplay between soloist and ensemble. It is structured similarly to Aaron Copland’s 1948 Clarinet Concerto, with a slow, lyrical first movement leading directly into a solo cadenza, which culminates in a fast and energetic second movement.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643575738606,"sku":null,"price":245.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/bassclarinetconcertoscoreFINALp3.jpg?v=1790780328"},{"product_id":"fantasy-on-five-sop-and-bari-sax-version-piano-reduction","title":"FANTASY ON FIVE PIANO REDUCTION (soprano saxophone, baritone saxophone, and piano)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: Soprano Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, and Piano\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: c. 14:00\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2016\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePiano reduction of the original wind ensemble version\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"100%\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A287555346\u0026amp;color=%23ff5500\u0026amp;auto_play=false\u0026amp;hide_related=true\u0026amp;show_comments=false\u0026amp;show_user=true\u0026amp;show_reposts=false\u0026amp;show_teaser=false\u0026amp;visual=true\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc; line-break: anywhere; word-break: normal; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap; text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-weight: 100;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eFantasy on Five\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is a double concerto of sorts for solo soprano and baritone saxophones with wind ensemble. It plays with the idea of “five-ness” in several different ways. First, much of the work is in a five-beat rhythmic meter. This is a particularly rich number of pulses to have in a measure, as it can be grouped in a unique variety of ways: unevenly (2 + 3 or 3 +2), in a circular palindrome pattern (2 + 1 + 2), or in single groupings of five. It is probably the largest number of pulses that can potentially be heard without subdivisions: even meters naturally subdivide into twos, while odd meters of seven or higher inevitably break down into subgroupings of two and three. Second, the entire work is based on the pentatonic (or five-note) melody with which the solo saxophones begin. The pentatonic scale is as close to universal as anything is in music, appearing in folk music traditions the world over. It is also generally considered to be the smallest number of pitches that can be heard to form a complete scale (rather than a subset of a larger pitch collection). Finally, the accompaniment figures in much of the work are built on the interval of the perfect fifth. This is the second interval in the overtone series, and the first interval that can be heard as a distinct pitch (as opposed to the octave, which creates the “same” note an octave higher). Thus, each of these elements based on five have unique, and in many ways musically primal qualities. These interlocked five patterns form the backbone of the work, and are developed rather freely throughout. The soloists are generally treated as an interlocked pair of voices in dialog with the wind ensemble. Though generally quite rhythmically driving, there are also moments of lyricism and improvisatory wildness. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eFantasy on Five\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e was commissioned and premiered by the Bando\/Wintringham saxophone duo with the Eastman Wind Ensemble. The piano reduction is based on the original wind ensemble version, but with adjustments to make it more “pianistic.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643575935214,"sku":null,"price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/FantasyonFiveFINAL-pianoreductionFINALp3.jpg?v=1790776083"},{"product_id":"four-of-a-kind-4-bass-clarinets","title":"FOUR OF A KIND (4 bass clarinets)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: \u003cspan\u003e4 Bass Clarinets\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: c. 4:30\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2004\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA gentle, (mostly) meditative work, exploring the timbral beauty of four bass clarinets moving in parallel motion.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"100%\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A303289914\u0026amp;color=%23ff5500\u0026amp;auto_play=false\u0026amp;hide_related=true\u0026amp;show_comments=false\u0026amp;show_user=true\u0026amp;show_reposts=false\u0026amp;show_teaser=false\u0026amp;visual=true\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc; line-break: anywhere; word-break: normal; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap; text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-weight: 100;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/jonathan-russell-22\" title=\"Jonathan Russell\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJonathan Russell\u003c\/a\u003e · \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/jonathan-russell-22\/four-of-a-kind\" title=\"Four of a Kind\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eFour of a Kind\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643576131822,"sku":null,"price":9.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/fourofakindp1.jpg?v=1790775418"},{"product_id":"eleven-saxophone-ensemble","title":"ELEVEN (saxophone ensemble)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: \u003cspan\u003eSaxophone Choir (5 sopranos, 4 altos, tenor, baritone)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: c. 10:00\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2017\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArrangement of the original clarinet version. Commissioned by the Austin Saxophone Ensemble.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e(video is of clarinet version)\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/T6n29C-8MpA?si=JWwV6A3rTBu8ShJb\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eELEVEN, \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003eoriginally composed for 9 Bb clarinets and 2 bass clarinets, was written for the San Francisco Conservatory clarinet studio as a companion piece to Steve Reich’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew York Counterpoint.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e I am a great admirer of Reich’s unique combination of intricately interlocking patterns, jazzy harmony, and propulsive rhythms, and I have been greatly influenced by his work. But while I admire much in his approach, I am ultimately a good deal less patient than he is – in my own compositions, I tend to want patterns to change more rapidly and dramatically, and to employ more narrative forms. In \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eELEVEN\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, I use very Reich-ish materials, but treat them in a freer, more narrative, more whimsical manner than he would. The piece is both an homage to a composer I greatly admire, and a declaration of independence from the strict processes and careful control that characterize his music. This version for saxophones was arranged for and premiered by the Austin Saxophone Ensemble\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643576230126,"sku":null,"price":44.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/ELEVEN-arrangedforsaxesp3.jpg?v=1790771770"},{"product_id":"this-homeless-way-clarinet-and-bass-clarinet","title":"THIS HOMELESS WAY (clarinet and bass clarinet)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: \u003cspan\u003e Bb Clarinet and Bass Clarinet\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: c. 9:30\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2018\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eCommissioned by \u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eÉgide Duo.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kU0PenAKI1E?si=C4BaRTlblocOfJM_\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis Homeless Way\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is inspired by three poems by Jacob Folger, a formerly homeless person who now runs an organization called “Friend to the Homeless” (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.friendtothehomeless.org\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ewww.friendtothehomeless.org\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e), whose purpose is “to educate on Homelessness and help people to discover simple things they can do to ease the lives of Homeless People.” \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643576262894,"sku":null,"price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/ThisHomelessWay-FINALp5.jpg?v=1790771255"},{"product_id":"not-today-bass-clarinet-trio","title":"NOT TODAY (3 bass clarinets)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: \u003cspan\u003e 3 Bass Clarinets\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: c. 2:00\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2015\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"100%\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A300733149\u0026amp;color=%23ff5500\u0026amp;auto_play=false\u0026amp;hide_related=true\u0026amp;show_comments=false\u0026amp;show_user=true\u0026amp;show_reposts=false\u0026amp;show_teaser=false\u0026amp;visual=true\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc; line-break: anywhere; word-break: normal; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap; text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-weight: 100;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/jonathan-russell-22\" title=\"Jonathan Russell\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJonathan Russell\u003c\/a\u003e · \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/jonathan-russell-22\/not-today\" title=\"Not Today\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNot Today\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643576197358,"sku":null,"price":9.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/nottodayp1.jpg?v=1790768702"},{"product_id":"dread-3-bass-clarinets","title":"DREAD (3 bass clarinets)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: \u003cspan\u003e 3 Bass Clarinets\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: c. 6:00\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2018\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"100%\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A476993700\u0026amp;color=%23ff5500\u0026amp;auto_play=false\u0026amp;hide_related=true\u0026amp;show_comments=false\u0026amp;show_user=true\u0026amp;show_reposts=false\u0026amp;show_teaser=false\u0026amp;visual=true\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc; line-break: anywhere; word-break: normal; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap; text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-weight: 100;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/jonathan-russell-22\" title=\"Jonathan Russell\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJonathan Russell\u003c\/a\u003e · \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/jonathan-russell-22\/dread\" title=\"DREAD\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDREAD\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643576295662,"sku":null,"price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/DREADbassclarinettrio-FINALp2.jpg?v=1790768483"},{"product_id":"on-sorrow-bass-clarinet-string-quartet","title":"ON SORROW (bass clarinet and string quartet)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: \u003cspan\u003e Bass Clarinet and String Quartet\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: c. 30:00\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2018\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCommissioned by Bruce Belton.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wqBNUfJA48Y?si=8k3e7YQ_8Vp14xHe\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"expanded\" class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003ePROGRAM NOTE: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003eSorrow is inevitable in all of our lives. We all carry the weight of our losses. For no matter how lucky a life we live, the simple fact remains that the longer we are here the more loss we will experience. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\"On Sorrow\" is in five continuous movements that flow together without pause: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003eI. Prelude – Loss \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003eII. Withdrawal \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003eIII. Rage \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003eIV. Consolation (O Vos Omnes) \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003eV. Renewal – Postlude\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003eThe piece opens with wispy string chords in a stuttering rhythm, with the bass clarinet floating above, evoking the eternal, endless river of time, the neutral backdrop to the cares and concerns of living. This figure also takes on a quality of “fate,” appearing again, suddenly loud and forceful, at the climaxes of the first, third, and fifth movements. After a few minutes of this material, the main “sorrow” theme of the piece enters: a circular, chromatic figure in five. This material begins slowly and lugubriously, but gradually starts to become more flowing and buoyant. Before it can go too far in this direction, however, it is interrupted by a hammering version of the “fate” motive. This is followed by two intense statements of the “sorrow” theme, and then a high, wispy version that melts into the second movement. Movement 2 (“Withdrawal”) evokes the sense of turning inward and separating from the world that is often our initial way of coping with the shock of a calamitous event. The bass clarinet plays fragmentary melodies over quiet, repeating chords in the strings that begin high and ethereal, and gradually drift down and down and down. At the end, there is a low, subdued statement of the “sorrow” theme – which then triggers the third movement’s sudden outburst. Movement 3 (“Rage”) is aggressive, dissonant, and driving. There are several new themes, and the “sorrow” theme is also sucked into the vortex. Its narrow chromatic pitches are played in close canon to create buzzing, insect-like swirls of dissonance. The music churns to a climax, and the bass clarinet is left alone on one of its lowest pitches. The strings hammer out the “fate” motive repeatedly as the bass clarinet ascends four octaves, almost its entire range, and is left hanging alone on a searing high note. When the bass clarinet stops, a lone, gentle sustained cello note emerges, leading into the fourth movement, “Consolation (O Vos Omnes).” This movement consists entirely of fragments from Tomás Luis de Victoria’s choral work “O Vos Omnes,” composed in the vicinity of 1572. It is a beautiful, contemplative work, setting a text from Lamentations, which translates as: “O you that pass by, behold, and see: if there be any sorrow like my sorrow. Pay attention, all people, and see my sorrow: if there be any sorrow like my sorrow.” I knew early on that Victoria’s composition would inform my own, both because it is such a potent musical evocation of sorrow, and, more personally, because it has itself been a source of consolation for me in difficult times. As my piece developed, it became clear to me that directly quoting Victoria’s work would be the most compelling way to provide the “consolation”\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003emusic I was seeking. It is deeply inspiring and humbling to me that a piece of music composed 450 years ago can still speak to us so directly and immediately today. It is a testament to the power of music itself to console, as well as to the power of spirituality and our common humanity, even across many generations and centuries. As the fourth movement ends, Victoria’s final cadence morphs into a statement of the “sorrow” theme. The bass clarinet begins movement 5 (“Renewal”) with tentative fragments of this theme, which are then picked up by the first violin. The other instruments gradually join in, with the theme gathering in strength and confidence, finally culminating in a vigorous tango, a swirling, churning dance of life. Sorrow is not denied or defeated, but instead becomes the very basis for renewal and hope. As in the first movement, the dance is cut short by a hammering return of the “fate” motive. This time, however, the harmonies build and finally resolve to a triumphant D major chord. The chord melts away and we are left once again with three iterations of the slow, contemplative version of the “sorrow” theme, rising higher each time, finally leaving the bass clarinet suspended gently in the air. The quiet, wispy version of the opening “fate” motive enters in the strings, and the piece ends as it began, with the bass clarinet suspended over a gently pulsating ocean of time.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"snippet\" class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv slot=\"extra-content\" class=\"style-scope ytd-watch-metadata\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"video-summary\" class=\"style-scope ytd-structured-description-content-renderer\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"merch-shelf\" class=\"style-scope ytd-structured-description-content-renderer\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"ticket-shelf\" class=\"style-scope ytd-structured-description-content-renderer\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"items\" class=\"style-scope ytd-structured-description-content-renderer\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643576393966,"sku":null,"price":59.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/OnSorrow-FINALp3.jpg?v=1790731647"},{"product_id":"on-sorrow-piano-reduction","title":"ON SORROW (bass clarinet and piano)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: \u003cspan\u003e Bass Clarinet and Piano\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: c. 30:00\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2018\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArrangement of the original work for bass clarinet and string quartet, which was commissioned by Bruce Belton.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e(recording is of string quartet version)\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wqBNUfJA48Y?si=x0Eot185c6wrMS8Z\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"expanded\" class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003ePROGRAM NOTE: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003eSorrow is inevitable in all of our lives. We all carry the weight of our losses. For no matter how lucky a life we live, the simple fact remains that the longer we are here the more loss we will experience. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\"On Sorrow\" is in five continuous movements that flow together without pause: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003eI. Prelude – Loss \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003eII. Withdrawal \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003eIII. Rage \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003eIV. Consolation (O Vos Omnes) \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003eV. Renewal – Postlude \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringHost ytAttributedStringWhiteSpacePreWrap\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003eThe piece opens with wispy string chords in a stuttering rhythm, with the bass clarinet floating above, evoking the eternal, endless river of time, the neutral backdrop to the cares and concerns of living. This figure also takes on a quality of “fate,” appearing again, suddenly loud and forceful, at the climaxes of the first, third, and fifth movements. After a few minutes of this material, the main “sorrow” theme of the piece enters: a circular, chromatic figure in five. This material begins slowly and lugubriously, but gradually starts to become more flowing and buoyant. Before it can go too far in this direction, however, it is interrupted by a hammering version of the “fate” motive. This is followed by two intense statements of the “sorrow” theme, and then a high, wispy version that melts into the second movement. Movement 2 (“Withdrawal”) evokes the sense of turning inward and separating from the world that is often our initial way of coping with the shock of a calamitous event. The bass clarinet plays fragmentary melodies over quiet, repeating chords in the strings that begin high and ethereal, and gradually drift down and down and down. At the end, there is a low, subdued statement of the “sorrow” theme – which then triggers the third movement’s sudden outburst. Movement 3 (“Rage”) is aggressive, dissonant, and driving. There are several new themes, and the “sorrow” theme is also sucked into the vortex. Its narrow chromatic pitches are played in close canon to create buzzing, insect-like swirls of dissonance. The music churns to a climax, and the bass clarinet is left alone on one of its lowest pitches. The strings hammer out the “fate” motive repeatedly as the bass clarinet ascends four octaves, almost its entire range, and is left hanging alone on a searing high note. When the bass clarinet stops, a lone, gentle sustained cello note emerges, leading into the fourth movement, “Consolation (O Vos Omnes).” This movement consists entirely of fragments from Tomás Luis de Victoria’s choral work “O Vos Omnes,” composed in the vicinity of 1572. It is a beautiful, contemplative work, setting a text from Lamentations\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ytAttributedStringLinkInheritColor\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e, which translates as: “O you that pass by, behold, and see: if there be any sorrow like my sorrow. Pay attention, all people, and see my sorrow: if there be any sorrow like my sorrow.” I knew early on that Victoria’s composition would inform my own, both because it is such a potent musical evocation of sorrow, and, more personally, because it has itself been a source of consolation for me in difficult times. As my piece developed, it became clear to me that directly quoting Victoria’s work would be the most compelling way to provide the “consolation” music I was seeking. It is deeply inspiring and humbling to me that a piece of music composed 450 years ago can still speak to us so directly and immediately today. It is a testament to the power of music itself to console, as well as to the power of spirituality and our common humanity, even across many generations and centuries. As the fourth movement ends, Victoria’s final cadence morphs into a statement of the “sorrow” theme. The bass clarinet begins movement 5 (“Renewal”) with tentative fragments of this theme, which are then picked up by the first violin. The other instruments gradually join in, with the theme gathering in strength and confidence, finally culminating in a vigorous tango, a swirling, churning dance of life. Sorrow is not denied or defeated, but instead becomes the very basis for renewal and hope. As in the first movement, the dance is cut short by a hammering return of the “fate” motive. This time, however, the harmonies build and finally resolve to a triumphant D major chord. The chord melts away and we are left once again with three iterations of the slow, contemplative version of the “sorrow” theme, rising higher each time, finally leaving the bass clarinet suspended gently in the air. The quiet, wispy version of the opening “fate” motive enters in the strings, and the piece ends as it began, with the bass clarinet suspended over a gently pulsating ocean of time.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"snippet\" class=\"style-scope ytd-text-inline-expander\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv slot=\"extra-content\" class=\"style-scope ytd-watch-metadata\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"video-summary\" class=\"style-scope ytd-structured-description-content-renderer\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"merch-shelf\" class=\"style-scope ytd-structured-description-content-renderer\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"ticket-shelf\" class=\"style-scope ytd-structured-description-content-renderer\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"items\" class=\"style-scope ytd-structured-description-content-renderer\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643576426734,"sku":null,"price":34.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/OnSorrow-pianoversionp3.jpg?v=1790730363"},{"product_id":"ultimate-transformation-fire-bass-clarinet-ensemble","title":"ULTIMATE TRANSFORMATION: FIRE (8-part bass clarinet choir)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: \u003cspan\u003e Bass Clarinet Choir (8 parts)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: c. 5:00\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2018\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"100%\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A538490631\u0026amp;color=%23ff5500\u0026amp;auto_play=false\u0026amp;hide_related=true\u0026amp;show_comments=false\u0026amp;show_user=true\u0026amp;show_reposts=false\u0026amp;show_teaser=false\u0026amp;visual=true\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe final movement of the mega-bass-clarinet-ensemble multi-composer work \u003cem\u003eThe Parliament of Reeds\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHomage to Harry Sparnaay \u0026amp; Guido Six\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI. Ancient Roots (Earth) – Cornelius Boots\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eII. Inspirated (Water) – Beth Custer\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIII. The MythoLogical Heart (Air) – Stephan Vermeersch\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIV. o (Space) – Eric P. Mandat\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eV. Ultimate Transformation (Fire) – Jonathan Russell\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643576459502,"sku":null,"price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/Fireforbassclarinetensemble-FINALp1.jpg?v=1790729871"},{"product_id":"symphony-for-piano-and-orchestra","title":"SYMPHONY FOR PIANO AND ORCHESTRA","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: \u003cspan\u003e Solo Piano and Orchestra (2 sop recorders, 3 fl (picc), 2 ob, 3 cl (Eb cl), 3 bsn (c-bsn), 3 tpt, 4 hn, 3 tbn, tba, hp, cel, 3 perc, strings)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: c. 47:00\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2019\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCommissioned by the University of the Pacific Symphony Orchestra\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vIRFrjFVtK8?si=xp5TUb8dFl771PPo\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"page\" title=\"Page 3\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"layoutArea\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"column\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuffering and loss are a central part of life. Yes, there are joys and triumphs as well. But, due to our mortality, the simple fact remains that the longer we are here, the more loss and sorrow we experience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat is the proper response to this loss and suffering? Do we confront it, fight it, shake our fist at it, try to defeat it? Or do we step away and seek to transcend it?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor most of us, some of both. We do what we can to try to make the world better in the time we have, to struggle against adversity, to fight for justice; and we also seek solace and transcendence through art or religion or nature or loving relationships.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMusic can embody both responses. During the summer of 2018, as I was contemplating the shape of this work, I had two musical obsessions: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamilton, and the third movement of Philip Glass’s third piano concerto. These works are highly contrasting not only in their obvious stylistic differences, but in the deeper ways they respond to the world. Hamilton is all about the struggles, triumphs, and tragedies of engaging head-on with the messy reality of living in society. It is full of energy and vitality, music that grabs hold of life and won’t let go. The Glass concerto, on the other hand, is music that is deeply serene and peaceful. Rather than grappling with the struggles of this world, it detaches from and transcends them. It is a testament to music’s power and versatility that it can embody both approaches so thoroughly and deeply. I came to realize that in the new piece I was going to write, I wanted to engage with both of these approaches, to see how they could interact with one another over the course of a large-scale symphonic work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs I began sketching what would become the opening music of the piece, the phrase “unbearable tenderness” came into my mind. It made me think of the feeling of almost painful love and tenderness I felt a few years earlier when my newborn son would sleep on my chest, and other moments in life when the beauty and sweetness of the moment seem almost too much to bear. Those moments of transcendence crop up ever so often as we go about our lives — and, perhaps, give us a glimpse of something more universal or divine, the wide universe beyond our own ego and worldly concerns. At other times, we are pre-occupied with the day-in-day-out struggles of this world — the “Hamilton” approach to life — as we do our best to navigate and make the most of this deeply imperfect world we inhabit so briefly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe piece begins and ends with this “unbearable tenderness” music and in between, it takes us on a journey between both extremes. The third movement, the emotional core of the work, is a sort of unification of both; it’s endlessly undulating, rising and falling string lines are peaceful and eternal, yet also passionate and engaged. The beginning and ending “unbearable tenderness” music, to me, takes on a quality of transcending living itself, giving a glimpse, perhaps, of the place we are before we are born and after we die. In between, then, is Life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe piece is called a piano “symphony” rather than “concerto” because the piano’s role is to provide the meat of the musical content and structure, rather than to function as a virtuosic soloist. The piano introduces themes, provides the harmonic underpinning, and lays down grooves, but isn’t always necessarily meant to be the center of attention.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe overall form of the work is roughly an arch form. The third movement forms the emotional core of the piece, as a meditative, repeating piano figure provides the backdrop for string lines that slowly and inexorably rise and fall. Movements 2 and 4 are fast, colorful, scherzo-like movements, but with very different characters; while movement 2 is wispy and mysterious, movement 4 is aggressive and driving. Movements 1 and 5 are the most complex, with a range of characters and emotions. The gentle prelude to movement 1 recurs at the very end of movement 5, rounding out the form as the music gently fades into the same eternal silence from which it emerged.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe piece was commissioned and premiered by the University of the Pacific Orchestra, with Nicolas Waldvogel conducting and Dashiel Reed as the piano soloist. I am deeply grateful to them for the opportunity to write a piece on this scale, and for their dedication and enthusiasm in bringing it to life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643576492270,"sku":null,"price":295.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/SymphonyforPianoandOrchestraFINALp3.jpg?v=1790729311"},{"product_id":"wind-octet","title":"WIND OCTET (2 oboes, 2 Bb clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: \u003cspan\u003e Wind Octet (2 Oboes, 2 Bb Clarinets, 2 Bassoons, 2 Horns)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: c. 7:00\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2011\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"100%\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A633246939\u0026amp;color=%23ff5500\u0026amp;auto_play=false\u0026amp;hide_related=true\u0026amp;show_comments=false\u0026amp;show_user=true\u0026amp;show_reposts=false\u0026amp;show_teaser=false\u0026amp;visual=true\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eWind Octet\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e was composed as a companion piece to Mozart’s C Minor Wind Serenade, and premiered alongside it. In addition to writing for the same instrumentation, I wanted to find a way to channel the spirit of Mozart’s work, but to re-interpret it in my own way. One thing I love about Mozart’s wind writing is his combination of sonic resonance and clarity of texture. His works have a lush and rich sound, yet they are always clear and balanced, never heavy or bloated. I looked carefully at how Mozart voices his harmonies and utilizes the colors of the different instruments. I also wanted to tap into the dramatic power of the Mozart serenade, with its wide range and depth of emotion. Mozart’s classical forms and refined technique in no way limit the emotional intensity of his music, and I wanted to achieve something similar in my own work.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc; line-break: anywhere; word-break: normal; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap; text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-weight: 100;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/jonathan-russell-22\" title=\"Jonathan Russell\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJonathan Russell\u003c\/a\u003e · \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/jonathan-russell-22\/wind-octet\" title=\"Wind Octet\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eWind Octet\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643576623342,"sku":null,"price":34.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/windoctetFINALp3_6038bbd1-9697-44bb-9a1b-88bf9061df8b.jpg?v=1790728523"},{"product_id":"evil-robot-spooky-space-jam-clarinet-ensemble","title":"EVIL ROBOT SPOOKY SPACE JAM (clarinet choir)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: \u003cspan\u003e Clarinet Choir (Eb Clarinet, Bb Clarinet 1-4, Bass clarinet 1-2, Contrabass Clarinet)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: c. 8:00\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2019\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCommissioned by the San Francisco Conservatory Clarinet Studio.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UfbsjPMf26o?si=WmUC_92kZNb4YCcp\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643576590574,"sku":null,"price":44.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/EvilRobotSpookySpaceJamforclarinetchoirp3.jpg?v=1790727821"},{"product_id":"strange-brew-clarinet-trio","title":"STRANGE BREW (clarinet trio)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: \u003cspan\u003e 3 Bb Clarinets\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: c. 8:30\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2019\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCommissioned by the Ambassador Trio\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tBWi-e9ljyQ?si=snolKtULyjys1J6y\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643576819950,"sku":null,"price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/StrangeBrew-score-FINALp3.jpg?v=1790727196"},{"product_id":"double-concerto-for-clarinet-and-cello-piano-reduction","title":"DOUBLE CONCERTO FOR CLARINET AND CELLO, PIANO REDUCTION (clarinet, cello, and piano)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: \u003cspan\u003eClarinet, Cello, and Piano\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: c. 19:30\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2021\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePiano reduction of the original orchestral version, which was c\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eommissioned by the Peninsula Symphony and San Francisco Chamber Orchestra\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e(video is of the orchestral version)\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SwdV6-W5LWY?si=SJBEbbtzDFL8KoH-\u0026amp;start=288\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe combination of clarinet and cello has special significance for me; my wife plays the cello, and we fell in love in college playing the Brahms Clarinet Quintet together. It should perhaps come as no surprise, then, that my \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eDouble Concerto for Clarinet, Cello, and Orchestra\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e turned out to be especially lyrical and romantic. The work is in two movements, with a slowly unfolding, lyrical first movement giving way to a fast and driving second movement. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643576951022,"sku":null,"price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/clarinetcelloconcerto-pianoreduction-FINALp2.jpg?v=1790721421"},{"product_id":"ball-passing-mixed-chamber-ensemble","title":"BALL PASSING (flute, 2 clarinets, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, 2 cellos, piano)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: F\u003cspan\u003elute, 2 Clarinets\/Bass Clarinets, 2 Trumpets, 2 Trombones, 2 Cellos, Piano\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDURATION: c. 7:00\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2019\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCommissioned by Garrett + Moulton Productions and made possible through the generous support of New Music USA.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"100%\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A775092499\u0026amp;color=%23ff5500\u0026amp;auto_play=false\u0026amp;hide_related=true\u0026amp;show_comments=false\u0026amp;show_user=true\u0026amp;show_reposts=false\u0026amp;show_teaser=false\u0026amp;visual=true\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc; line-break: anywhere; word-break: normal; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap; text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-weight: 100;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/jonathan-russell-22\" title=\"Jonathan Russell\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJonathan Russell\u003c\/a\u003e · \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/jonathan-russell-22\/ball-passing\" title=\"Ball Passing\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBall Passing\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643577049326,"sku":null,"price":39.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/BallPassing-FINALp2.jpg?v=1790720161"},{"product_id":"lockstep-clarinet-duet","title":"LOCKSTEP (clarinet duet)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: 2 Bb Clarinets\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDURATION: c. 10:00\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2021\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCommissioned by Harbinger Duo\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kyNQZPqzlx0?si=lmNbZq94hBl1vUFB\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643576983790,"sku":null,"price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/LOCKSTEP-FINALp2.jpg?v=1790718515"},{"product_id":"procession-and-burlesque-mixed-chamber-ensemble","title":"PROCESSION AND BURLESQUE (flute, bass clarinet, electric guitar, piano, bass)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: Flute, Bass Clarinet, Electric Guitar, Piano, Bass\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDURATION: c. 8:15\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2019\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZW_BPUDU0zQ?si=E2OUNZN5DERzY1FY\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eProcession and Burlesque\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e was commissioned by the Rochester-based ensemble five-by-five as a response to Judith Schaechter’s stunning stained glass work “The Battle of Carnival and Lent” (above). The work on its own is so vital and fresh, so teeming with energy, passion, and intricate detail, that I was initially doubtful about what music could possibly add to it. The approach that finally clicked for me was to think about the inherent qualities of the two media; specifically, that a work of visual art is temporally static, while music progresses through time. The thing that music could add, then, was a narrative. If the artwork depicted a single snapshot in time, what might have led up to this moment – and what would come after? After an introduction that sets the tone and mood, the “Procession” depicts the lead-up to the moment depicted in the stained glass, as the opposing sides of human nature represented by “carnival” and “lent” warily approach one another, getting closer and closer. An ominous melody repeats again and again, getting more intense and insistent on each iteration, like a procession gradually getting closer and closer. Then a brief pause as the two sides size each other up…and then all hell breaks loose in the madcap “Burlesque,” a whirling frenzy of klezmer, surf rock, and manic carnival music. After building to a searing climax, the “introduction” music returns, and gradually winds down. We are left amidst the wreckage, devastatingly aware of the steep cost of the conflict.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643577147630,"sku":null,"price":44.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/ProcessionandBurlesque-scorep3_8f848309-8129-4a32-8da7-5e7cd2766bc7.jpg?v=1790718300"},{"product_id":"a-requiem-for-2020-bass-clarinet-ensemble","title":"A REQUIEM FOR 2020 (14 bass clarinets)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: 14 Bass Clarinets\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eDURATION: c. 20:00\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2021\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bhzis9ZyPd0?si=WhF3VkjoDC-0pz6k\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2020 was an extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime (hopefully) year. It began with raging wildfires in Australia, a stark embodiment of the impending catastrophe of human-made climate change. This was followed by a once-in-a-century (hopefully) global pandemic that would cause the death of millions around the world, as well as untold social disruption, as millions upon millions of people were forced to stay at home, lost work, and adjusted to lives of mask-wearing and isolation. In the United States, the summer brought an unprecedented outpouring of protest over the country’s dark legacy of racism as manifested most vividly in the brutal police murder of George Floyd. The year culminated in a shocking first: the refusal of an American president to concede his election loss, as he and his allies disseminated a toxic stew of lies and conspiracy theories that tens of millions of Americans believed – and, on January 6th, 2021, acted on, in the violent storming of the U.S. capitol, an unprecedented attempt to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power. There were moments of hope as well. The outpouring of demands for racial justice was notable in the breadth and depth of its support across society. The coronavirus pandemic laid bare the deep inequalities in society – and created hope that there could finally be the political will to address them. Covid vaccines were developed at a whirlwind speed, and scientists, healthcare workers, and public health officials displayed bravery and dedication that are an inspiration to all of us.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s a lot to process. No doubt social scientists, historians, public health officials, psychologists, artists, and all the rest of us will be reflecting on and learning from the events of 2020 for years, if not decades to come. A Requiem for 2020 is one early attempt at this processing. The work has no specific narrative, but taps into the swirl of emotions that dominated 2020 – fear, anxiety, sorrow, loneliness, rage – and slivers of hope. It is meant both to evoke the churning events and emotions of the year, and also to offer some space to grieve, reflect, remember, and find solace – hence the “requiem” in the title.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe work was composed for the Boston-based bass clarinet ensemble “Improbable Beasts” and premiered virtually at ClarinetFest 2021.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643577114862,"sku":null,"price":64.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/2020requiemforbassclarinets-FINALp3.jpg?v=1790715914"},{"product_id":"deep-waters-distant-stars-reed-quintet","title":"DEEP WATERS, DISTANT STARS (reed quintet)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: \u003cspan\u003eReed Quintet (oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, bassoon)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: c. 14:00\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2020\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCommissioned by Paradise Winds\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bFCzPo2QVOo?si=bckM9qEwkyMaCcKt\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643577180398,"sku":null,"price":44.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/Deepwaters_Distantstars-FINAL-transposedscorep3.jpg?v=1790715621"},{"product_id":"double-concerto-for-clarinet-cello-and-orchestra","title":"DOUBLE CONCERTO FOR CLARINET, CELLO, AND ORCHESTRA","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: \u003cspan\u003eSolo Clarinet, Solo Cello, and Orchestra (2 fl, 2 ob, 2 cl, 2 bsn, 3 hn, 2 tpt, perc, strings)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: c. 19:30\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2021\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCommissioned by the Peninsula Symphony and San Francisco Chamber Orchestra\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SwdV6-W5LWY?si=rYesF3mC3KLO7y5q\u0026amp;start=288\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe combination of clarinet and cello has special significance for me; my wife plays the cello, and we fell in love in college playing the Brahms Clarinet Quintet together. It should perhaps come as no surprise, then, that my \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eDouble Concerto for Clarinet, Cello, and Orchestra\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e turned out to be especially lyrical and romantic. The work is in two movements, with a slowly unfolding, lyrical first movement giving way to a fast and driving second movement. It was commissioned and premiered by the Peninsula Symphony with myself and cellist Nathan Chan as soloists. This version for a smaller orchestra was commissioned and premiered by the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra with Jeff Anderle and Hannah Addario-Berry as soloists.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643577245934,"sku":null,"price":245.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/clarinetcelloconcertoorchestratedFINAL-chamberorchestraversionp3.jpg?v=1790715198"},{"product_id":"prelude-chant-bass-clarinet-ensemble","title":"PRELUDE \/ CHANT (7 bass clarinets)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: Bass Clarinet Choir (7 parts)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDURATION: c. 4:00\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2021\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and complete set of parts in PDF format. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/V7WFNCFerOY?si=0xJVhSOCfWge_gnQ\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe original version of this piece was simply a solo melody for any solo instrument. I composed it in 2006 or 2007 to use as a prelude for a church service when I was working as the music director at First Congregational Church, San Francisco. I didn’t notate it down at the time beyond a few quick, barely legible sketches. Over the years, I drew on it from time to time to play in church services or other settings where some contemplative music was called for. It also evolved over the years, with slight alterations and adjustments each time I played it. In May 2020, flutist Laura Lentz ask me if I would contribute something to a collection of solo flute works she was compiling called “Comfort Pieces.” The idea of the collection was to provide comfort and connection in the midst of the pandemic lockdown that was taking such a devastating toll on musicians’ livelihoods and spirits. \u003cem\u003ePrelude \/ Chant \u003c\/em\u003eseemed like a good fit for this theme, and so I fully notated it for the first time to contribute to her collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor this bass clarinet version, I initially recorded only the melody on bass clarinet, and then recorded myself improvising various drones, echoes, and countermelodies against it. Through a process of iterative trial-and-error, I gradually crafted this arrangement, and then had to figure out the best way to notate it. It starts out quite calm and meditative, in the spirit of the original solo melody version, but becomes increasingly pleading and anguished as it progresses, before returning to quiet drones and distant filigrees at the end.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643577409774,"sku":null,"price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/Prelude-Chantforbassclarinetensemblep2.jpg?v=1790710252"},{"product_id":"funky-groove-vortex-bass-clarinet-ensemble","title":"FUNKY GROOVE VORTEX (8 bass clarinets)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: Bass Clarinet Choir (8 parts)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDURATION: c. 9:30\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2022\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HhtbygXRrT4?si=dlmGmMKzvTSID6LC\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe seed of this composition comes from music I was writing for a dance production in 2019 with the San Francisco-based choreographers Janice Garrett and Charles Moulton, who have been dear friends and frequent collaborators for the past 13 years. One of the dance numbers was called “Vortex” and the music I had created for it was a relentlessly driving perpetual-motion flurry of fast notes. I was at a rehearsal with the dancers and Janice asked if we could explore a version of “vortex” that was a bit less relentless and had a “funkier groove.” So I used the pitch material of the original “vortex” music, but improvised a “funky groove” feel with it at the piano – and recorded the whole process in case anything useful came of it. This “funky groove” version did \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003enot\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e end up making it into the dance show (actually, the original “vortex” music didn’t either!) but I liked it. In fall 2021 I decided to explore using it as the basis for an Improbable Beasts piece. The “funky groove” material turned out to be perfectly suited to bass clarinet ensemble, and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eFunky Groove Vortex\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e grew gradually and organically as I worked to have sections of it ready for our bi-weekly rehearsals.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643577377006,"sku":null,"price":44.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/FunkyGrooveVortex-FINALp2.jpg?v=1790709407"},{"product_id":"suite-for-flute-and-piano","title":"SUITE FOR FLUTE AND PIANO","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: Flute and Piano\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDURATION: c. 9:30\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2022\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCommissioned by Carl Gutowski\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pqxorPWBllM?si=g36dLftyCgfEMlXL\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"style-scope yt-formatted-string\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eSuite for Flute and Piano\u003c\/em\u003e was commissioned by flutist Carl Gutowski to honor the over two decades of service that my mother, Laura Russell, provided as the Music Director at Christ Episcopal Church, Poughkeepsie, NY. It was premiered on April 24th, 2022 as part of a church service honoring Laura’s service before her retirement in June. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"style-scope yt-formatted-string\" dir=\"auto\"\u003eThe piece is intended to function either as music for a church service–with its Prelude, Antiphon, and Postlude–or as an independent concert piece. The first movement (“Prelude”) is impassioned and a bit sorrowful, representing the sadness of Laura moving on from her music ministry work, and the church’s sadness at seeing her go. It is also dedicated to the memory of Laura’s late husband (and my stepfather), Paul Frazer, who was such an integral part of Laura’s life, of the life of Christ Church, and of music in the Poughkeepsie area generally. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"style-scope yt-formatted-string\" dir=\"auto\"\u003eThe second movement (“Antiphon\/Meditation”) is gentle and contemplative, representing the comfort and support that Laura found in and gave to the Christ Church community. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"style-scope yt-formatted-string\" dir=\"auto\"\u003eThe third movement (“Postlude”) is rhythmic and spritely, representing the exciting new opportunities awaiting Laura post-retirement.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643577442542,"sku":null,"price":24.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/Suiteforfluteandpiano-FINALp3.jpg?v=1790707879"},{"product_id":"nomad-concerto-piano-reduction","title":"NOMAD CONCERTO (bass clarinet and piano)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: Bass Clarinet and Piano (reduction of the wind octet version)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDURATION: c. 18:00\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2020\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCommissioned by Nomad Session (original wind octet version)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e(C piano score; bass clarinet part is transposed)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/AMh0iVGUnUg?si=SN4AC0R-352sXL4n\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOriginally for solo bass clarinet and wind octet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHumans evolved as nomads: hunter-gatherers following the seasonal migrations of animals. Yet today, nomadism is a distant memory for most of us, a concept both marginalized and romanticized by our society. Actual nomadic cultures have become rare, and they almost always exist on the margins of the states that contain them, often mistrusted and looked down on by others. Think of the European Roma (“Gypsies”), the Irish “Travelers”, the middle-Eastern Bedouin, the sub-Saharan African “Bushmen.” In our own society, nomadism is also often associated with marginalization, from trailer dwellers to seasonal workers to homeless people. Yet nomadism is also romanticized; “Nomad” shows up as a hip name for everything from cafés to bicycle shops to lifestyle blogs to…wind octets…signaling freedom and an unwillingness to be hemmed in by society’s conventions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo are humans innately nomadic? Evolutionarily, the answer would seem to be “yes”…And yet, the urge for “home” also seems to be profoundly innate. We invest extraordinary resources in owning and maintaining homes, sums we would never contemplate spending on anything else. And we seem to view the lack of a “proper” home very negatively: we talk of troubled children being from “broken homes” and of course at the very bottom of our social order are those who are “homeless.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut what is “home”? A building? A community? A landscape? An idea? How do we square our clear desire for home with our innate urge to wander and our historical origins as nomads? What, in the end, does “home” actually mean?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis piece attempts to explore these contradicting human desires for home and exploration, between being settled and being nomadic. It is structured in four movements that flow together without pause. The first movement evokes the wide open spaces and limitless possibilities – both literal and metaphorical – of an idealized “homeland.” Movement two interrupts this idyll with crisis, forcing us to flee from the comfort and security of home, becoming involuntary nomads like so many refugees and migrants before us. The third movement reflects nostalgia for a return to that idealized “home” that may never be possible. The final movement is an attempt to come to terms with and embrace the nomadic life. It is inspired in part by the genre of raucous, joyous wind and brass “street music,” as exemplified by Somerville, MA’s Honk Festival. This music, performed in the streets and deeply connected to movements for social justice, draws on a wide range of folk traditions and cultures in an attempt to create a sense of community that transcends the insular, personal sense of “home” that our modern, physical houses create. It implies that, in the end, perhaps “home” is not so much a physical place as a place within a community. That sense of a place within a community – of belonging – is what we ultimately long for when we long for “home.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643577475310,"sku":null,"price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/NomadConcerto-FINAL-pianoreductionp2.jpg?v=1790707494"},{"product_id":"nomad-concerto-bass-clarinet-wind-octet","title":"NOMAD CONCERTO (bass clarinet + wind octet)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: Solo Bass Clarinet and Wind Octet (flute\/piccolo, oboe\/English horn, clarinet\/bass clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, horn, trombone, tuba)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDURATION: c. 18:00\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2020\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCommissioned by Nomad Session\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e(C score; parts are transposed)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cKd1R3eQ5DA?si=gvQOVmvq4-KojN-C\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"column\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHumans evolved as nomads: hunter-gatherers following the seasonal migrations of animals. Yet today, nomadism is a distant memory for most of us, a concept both marginalized and romanticized by our society. Actual nomadic cultures have become rare, and they almost always exist on the margins of the states that contain them, often mistrusted and looked down on by others. Think of the European Roma (“Gypsies”), the Irish “Travelers”, the middle-Eastern Bedouin, the sub-Saharan African “Bushmen.” In our own society, nomadism is also often associated with marginalization, from trailer dwellers to seasonal workers to homeless people. Yet nomadism is also romanticized; “Nomad” shows up as a hip name for everything from cafés to bicycle shops to lifestyle blogs to…wind octets…signaling freedom and an unwillingness to be hemmed in by society’s conventions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo are humans innately nomadic? Evolutionarily, the answer would seem to be “yes”…And yet, the urge for “home” also seems to be profoundly innate. We invest extraordinary resources in owning and maintaining homes, sums we would never contemplate spending on anything else. And we seem to view the lack of a “proper” home very negatively: we talk of troubled children being from “broken homes” and of course at the very bottom of our social order are those who are “homeless.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut what is “home”? A building? A community? A landscape? An idea? How do we square our clear desire for home with our innate urge to wander and our historical origins as nomads? What, in the end, does “home” actually mean?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis piece attempts to explore these contradicting human desires for home and exploration, between being settled and being nomadic. It is structured in four movements that flow together without pause. The first movement evokes the wide open spaces and limitless possibilities – both literal and metaphorical – of an idealized “homeland.” Movement two interrupts this idyll with crisis, forcing us to flee from the comfort and security of home, becoming involuntary nomads like so many refugees and migrants before us. The third movement reflects nostalgia for a return to that idealized “home” that may never be possible. The final movement is an attempt to come to terms with and embrace the nomadic life. It is inspired in part by the genre of raucous, joyous wind and brass “street music,” as exemplified by Somerville, MA’s Honk Festival. This music, performed in the streets and deeply connected to movements for social justice, draws on a wide range of folk traditions and cultures in an attempt to create a sense of community that transcends the insular, personal sense of “home” that our modern, physical houses create. It implies that, in the end, perhaps “home” is not so much a physical place as a place within a community. That sense of a place within a community – of belonging – is what we ultimately long for when we long for “home.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNomad Concerto was commissioned by Nomad Session and premiered by Nomad Session and bass clarinet soloist Jeff Anderle at ClarinetFest 2022 in Reno, NV.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643577508078,"sku":null,"price":54.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/NomadConcerto-FINALp3.jpg?v=1790707101"},{"product_id":"rowdy-red-the-strutting-ferret-clarinet-quartet","title":"ROWDY RED: THE STRUTTING FERRET (clarinet quartet)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: Clarinet Quartet (3 Bb Clarinets and Bass Clarinet)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDURATION: c. 7:00\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2022\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCommissioned by Radford University\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/L9NMVpk9sb4?si=wUm0XurQwFtuDSTI\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAfter a string of Very Serious Compositions on topics like sorrow, the year 2020, and the war in Ukraine, I needed to let loose with something a bit more fun and whimsical. “Rowdy Red (The Strutting Ferret)” is the result. The title comes from the character of the music: there is something very confident, even cocky about it (the “strut”), yet also something a bit absurd about it (the “ferret”), and it made the commissioner think of the (in their words) “horrendous” former mascot of Radford University, called “Rowdy Red.” It should be performed with a lot of style, character, and panache. Dixieland and\/or klezmer inflections are welcome. Have fun!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643577573614,"sku":null,"price":34.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/RowdyRedTheStruttingFerretclarinetquartet-FINALp3.jpg?v=1790686801"},{"product_id":"we-are-broken-bass-clarinet-ensemble","title":"WE ARE BROKEN (9 bass clarinets)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: Bass Clarinet Choir (9 parts)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDURATION: c. 15:00\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2022\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/f4jGzcQKKMg?si=dm1minsqNPw-7VMe\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll of us are broken in some way. Life just does that to you. Whether it’s the loss of a loved one, the end of a relationship, a professional setback, or even that bully in 4\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e grade whose confidence-shrinking taunts still linger inside you. We all have parts that are stunted, twisted, broken. How much of our life do we spend avoiding those parts, suppressing them, pretending they’re not there, or acting out to avoid acknowledging them? What if, instead, we were able to really look at our own brokenness, acknowledge it, try to make peace with it? And what if we could do the same with those around us – see and acknowledge their brokenness, indeed finding in it our common humanity? This piece is meant to create some space to acknowledge and reflect on our own brokenness, realize that we are all broken together, and hopefully find some peace and acceptance in this realization.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe immediate inspiration came from the brilliant television show, “Better Call Saul,” which traces the transformation of an earnest, good-hearted, if ethically challenged young lawyer named Jimmy McGill into the over-the-top, flamboyant, near-caricature criminal cartel lawyer, Saul Goodman, who we meet in “Breaking Bad.”  We see that a series of failures and traumatic events in his life push him over the edge; the gaudy, amoral Saul Goodman persona he adopts is his way of coping, of avoiding having to face his own deep brokenness. It got me thinking about my attraction to dark television shows like Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, etc., and how the common denominator is that they are all about how people deal with their own brokenness – in most cases, in deeply destructive ways. There are also occasional characters in these shows who flip the script, whose brokenness instead leads them to become stronger or more self-aware or more humble or more empathic. Can we similarly flip the script in our own lives?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe piece was composed for and premiered by my Boston-based bass clarinet ensemble Improbable Beasts at the ICA Low ClarinetFest 2023 in Glendale, AZ.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643577606382,"sku":null,"price":54.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/WeAreBroken_forbassclarinets-FINALp3.jpg?v=1790686525"},{"product_id":"bass-clarinet-double-concerto-bass-clarinet-choir-version","title":"BASS CLARINET DOUBLE CONCERTO (bass clarinet choir version)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: 2 Solo Bass Clarinets and Bass Clarinet Choir (8 parts)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eDURATION: c. 15:00\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2022\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SbRCp1jzVRM?si=8MqQqZoTKfMSwFfj\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMy basic idea for the Bass Clarinet Double Concerto was of Weber’s clarinet concertos meeting heavy metal. I am intimately familiar with both genres, through extensively practicing the Weber concertos in high school, and performing heavy metal bass clarinet tunes as a member of the Edmund Welles bass clarinet quartet. When it came to writing a bass clarinet double concerto, then, it seemed logical (to me) to try to combine the heaviness and raw power of heavy metal with the dancing virtuosity and lyricism of Weber’s concertos. While the resulting piece doesn’t necessarily borrow explicitly from either, the underlying spirit of the work – a mixture of heavy, driving grooves, virtuosically dancing lines, and tender lyricism – comes from the combination of these two sources. The piece was composed for my bass clarinet duo Sqwonk, and the original chamber orchestra version was premiered in December 2007 by Sqwonk and the San Francisco Composers’ Chamber Orchestra. The Bass Clarinet Double Concerto now exists in six versions: chamber orchestra, symphonic band, clarinet choir, bass clarinet choir, mixed chamber ensemble, and piano. It has also been adapted into a double concerto for tenor and baritone saxophones.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643577671918,"sku":null,"price":54.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/bassclarinetdoubleconcertoFINAL-bassclarinetchoirversionp3.jpg?v=1790686209"},{"product_id":"on-g-low-clarinet-ensemble","title":"ON G (low clarinet choir)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: Any Number of Low Clarinets (parts for alto, bass, contra-alto, and contrabass)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: Open-ended\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2022\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCommissioned by ICA Low Clarinet Festival 2023\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uOcR6kYNsfE?si=bFp7sO2k_5erz1Gy\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643577639150,"sku":null,"price":9.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/OnGp1.jpg?v=1790685890"},{"product_id":"still-here-clarinet-and-piano","title":"STILL HERE (clarinet and piano)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: Bb Clarinet and Piano\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: c. 22:00\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2022\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eConsortium Commission\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Z0H2_pLTV9U?si=kR-X29RcfaSJGqIa\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s the evening of February 25th, 2022. In the darkness, a grainy 30-second selfie video of five men on the streets of Kiev: “Good evening to all” says the gravelly voice of the man in front, holding the phone. “The leader of the bloc is here. The head of the President’s office is here. Prime Minister Schmyhal is here. Podoliak is here. The President is here. We are all here. The soldiers are here, the citizens are here, and we are here….We defend our independence. Glory to our defenders, glory to Ukraine.” No press conference. No soaring rhetoric. No lectern or flag or presidential seal. Just a 30-second video calmly stating the only fact that mattered in that moment: We Are Here. Still Here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat video and its message became the inspiration for this composition. Like millions around the world, I was deeply moved by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s calm resolve and courage, rallying his people – and the world – in the face of unprovoked Russian aggression. As I worked on the piece, I thought about this idea of “Still Here” and everything it represents. It is the rallying cry of any marginalized group that refuses, against all odds, to be destroyed or forgotten. I thought of my own Jewish ancestry and the generations upon generations who endured discrimination, expulsions, pogroms, and genocide, but who nonetheless continued to assert: We Are Still Here. Our people, our religion, our culture: Still Here. I thought of the dehumanizing institution of slavery in my own country and the extraordinary resilience of African-Americans who, through generations of violence and oppression, continued to assert through culture, religion, music: We Are Here. Still Here. I thought of how, even today in the United States, there is an ongoing attempt to effectively legislate LGBTQ people out of existence. It will not and cannot succeed. Because our LGBTQ siblings are here. They have always been here. They will always be here. Still Here. And on a more personal note, every act of artistic creation is in some sense a statement of “Still Here.” It asserts for all time that this person, this being, this soul existed. Even long after I am gone, some small shred of my soul will persist in the music I leave behind. Still Here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStill Here is scored for B-flat clarinet and piano, and is in four movements. Movement 1 is inspired most directly by the Zelensky video. It begins with solo clarinet on its lowest note (E) slowly spinning out a mournful, stately, insistent melody. Piano enters, quiet and spare at first, and both voices gradually grow in confidence and intensity. It builds to a searing high note in the clarinet, before plummeting once more to the low E and ending quietly, questioning. It is sombre, yet also defiant, like Zelensky in the video. Still Here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMovement 2 interrupts with a racing scherzo. Towards the middle, a klezmer tune nearly breaks out, and then the movement 1 theme returns, but now bopping along over a funky bass line. At first, I struggled to accept the more dance-y, playful, even humorous music that seemed to want to be part of this piece. But then I read an article about the thriving stand-up comedy scene in Ukraine, and thought about the rich comedic tradition in my own Jewish heritage. I realized that part of the idea of “Still Here” is proclaiming that we will not merely survive, but we will live fully. We will experience joy and love and laughter, despite our sorrows and oppression.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMovement 3 is a respite, a simple love song, tinged with nostalgia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA brief clarinet cadenza then leads directly into movement 4, a rollicking klezmer tune marked “defiantly joyful.” After building to a climax, the movement 2 theme returns, leading into a dramatic return of the movement 1 melody, now played with even greater intensity. The piece ends with the clarinet back on the same low E that began the whole piece, now played five consecutive times at top volume, while the piano bangs out the main theme one last time. With that defiantly fortissimo low E, the clarinet proclaims again what it has been proclaiming from the beginning of the piece, what Zelensky proclaimed in that video, and what generations of marginalized and oppressed peoples have proclaimed throughout history: We Are Still Here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis work was generously commissioned by a consortium of 52 clarinetists. I am deeply grateful to every single one of them for believing in the vision of this piece and coming along on the journey. The members of the consortium are:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlan Kay, Annie Phillips, Benjamin Mitchell, Brittany Barry, Bruce Belton, Christin Hablewitz, Christopher Nichols, Christy Banks, Debbie Rawson, Diane Barger, Dickson Grimes, Digital Clarinet Academy, Eva Tartaglia, Gary Gorczyca, Gracie Barrett, Jack Liang, Jackie Glazier, Jason Marquez, Jeremy Ruth, Jeremy Wohletz, Jo-Ann Sternberg, Joel Russell, Jonathan Aubrey, Josh Woods, Joshua Gardner, Julie Stuckenschneider, Katie Kimmel, Katie Ravenwood, Kim Fullerton, Laura Ramsey Russell, Leslie Moreau, Lynne Snyder, Macey Campobello, Marcy Bacon, Margalit Patry-Martin, Margaret Thornhill, Marguerite Levin, Mariam Adam, Nathan Soric, Peter Hansen, Ralph Skiano, Robert Spring, Shengwen Wu, Stefanie Gardner, Stephanie Grubbs, Stephen White, Tara Glaspey, Tim Sutfin, Timothy Bonenfant, Victor Drescher, Vince Dominguez \/ Claire Annette, and Wolcott Humphrey.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643577802990,"sku":null,"price":34.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/StillHereforclarinetandpiano-FINAL-revisedJuly2025p3.jpg?v=1790683200"},{"product_id":"bullfrogs-love-chant-unrequited-contrabass-clarinet-and-piano","title":"BULLFROG'S LOVE CHANT, UNREQUITED (contrabass clarinet or bass clarinet and piano)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: Contrabass Clarinet (or Bass Clarinet) and Piano\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: c. 7:00\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2020\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCommissioned by Kimberly Fullerton\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"100%\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A1570494193\u0026amp;color=%23ff5500\u0026amp;auto_play=false\u0026amp;hide_related=true\u0026amp;show_comments=false\u0026amp;show_user=true\u0026amp;show_reposts=false\u0026amp;show_teaser=false\u0026amp;visual=true\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc; line-break: anywhere; word-break: normal; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap; text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-weight: 100;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/jonathan-russell-22\" title=\"Jonathan Russell\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJonathan Russell\u003c\/a\u003e · \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/jonathan-russell-22\/bullfrogs-love-chant-unrequited-for-contrabass-clarinet-and-piano\" title=\"Bullfrog's Love Chant (unrequited), for contrabass clarinet and piano\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBullfrog's Love Chant (unrequited), for contrabass clarinet and piano\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePROGRAM NOTE:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Bullfrog’s Love Chant (unrequited)” tells the story of a bullfrog emerging from the depths of a swamp, looking for love. He struts his stuff, showing off his agility, his romantic spirit, his dance moves, and his deep, deep voice. But it is to no avail. Finally, resigned, he slinks back down into the mud from whence he came. He is defeated – for now. Musically, the piece presents the contrabass clarinet with a series of technical challenges that mirror the bullfrogs attempts to attract a mate, from tuning perfect intervals with the piano, to managing large leaps, to fast articulations, to soaring lyricism. Hopefully, the contrabass clarinetist will be more successful in fulfilling their quest than the bullfrog was! The piece was commissioned and premiered by Kimberly Fullerton.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643577835758,"sku":null,"price":24.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/Bullfrog_sLoveChantFINALp2.jpg?v=1790682805"},{"product_id":"a-hymn-to-45-piano-4-hands","title":"A HYMN TO 45 (piano 4 hands)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: Piano 4-Hands\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: c. 5:45\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2020\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCommissioned by Nakedeye Ensemble for pianist Ju-Ping Song as part of the Soloing2020 project.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComposed in a white heat of rage during the summer of 2020. Dedicated to all of the Enablers. We see you. We won’t forget you.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/soundcloud%253Atracks%253A1755539010\u0026amp;color=%23ff5500\u0026amp;auto_play=false\u0026amp;hide_related=true\u0026amp;show_comments=false\u0026amp;show_user=true\u0026amp;show_reposts=false\u0026amp;show_teaser=false\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc; line-break: anywhere; word-break: normal; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap; text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-weight: 100;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/jonathan-russell-22\" title=\"Jonathan Russell\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJonathan Russell\u003c\/a\u003e · \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/jonathan-russell-22\/hymn-to-45-for-piano-4-hands-midi\" title=\"A Hymn to 45, for piano 4 hands - MIDI\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eA Hymn to 45, for piano 4 hands - MIDI\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643577966830,"sku":null,"price":24.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/Hymnto45-4-handversionp3.jpg?v=1790678481"},{"product_id":"the-midway-blues","title":"THE MIDWAY BLUES (9 bass clarinets)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSTRUMENTATION: 9 Bass Clarinets\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDURATION: c. 6:45\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYEAR COMPOSED: 2023\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DRRDGJq6Sy4?si=dMvC2mwWDwO54Dap\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49643577999598,"sku":null,"price":39.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0828\/6738\/8654\/files\/TheMidwayBlues-FINALp2.jpg?v=1790678231"}],"url":"https:\/\/jonrussellmusic.com\/collections\/original-compositions.oembed","provider":"My Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}