Program Notes
 

Margaret Brouwer “Sonata” for clarinet and piano (2022)
International Clarinet Association consortium commission
The clarinet is such a lyrical instrument, and also has a broad range and the ability to produce many different colors. All of this was a driving force in Sonata for Clarinet and Piano. The first movement, Lively, showcases the different registers of the clarinet with quick leaps between high and low notes, as well as the liquid quality of fast runs. Lively is light-hearted and playful as the clarinet and piano pass motives back and forth. Sometimes, it is almost as if they are saying: “But can you do THIS??” In contrast, the second movement is nostalgic and lingering in nature, with a prevalent melody throughout. Even though the melody is often in 5/8 time, the feeling is that of a slow, romantic dance.- MB

Seth Boustead “Dissonance Still Talking” for clarinet, violin, cello, piano (2007)
I’ve always been fascinated with how composers use dissonance in their music.  How dissonance is introduced, whether it resolves or not and how it relates to the overall harmonic language and musical expression of a piece is an important part of how I think about music. In this piece I wrote the slow second movement first and called it Still.  I then wrote what is now the last movement and, based on the back and forth between the instruments, decided to call it Talking.  From there I decided that the piece itself would be called Dissonance Still Talking with each movement being one word of the title.  Dissonance is used in different ways in all three movements and is generally not meant to be harsh but it always present and is an important part of the sound world of the piece. -SB
 

Gilbert Galindo "Currents" for violin, cello, and piano (2021)
“Currents” for piano trio explores the concepts of energy in motion, alienation, and moving on in life. The first movement, “Midstream” begins as if we encounter the music already midway, much how we might encounter a stream in motion. The second movement, “Isolation” - written during a bout with COVID - explores the feelings of isolation, loneliness, and yearning. And the final movement, “Carry On” snaps us out of isolation reminding us to keep going on with life. Musically, in this work, you will hear echoes of jazz, Mexican-type tunes, and abstract modernism. -GG

Daniel Hass “The Lord of Toronto, His Pavin” for cello and piano (2022)
“The Lord of Toronto, His Pavin” was composed for Glenn Gould’s 90th birthday celebration in Toronto. It is based on a piece by one of Gould’s favorite composers, Orlando Gibbon’s “Lord of Salisbury, His Pavin.” Composed in 1613, Gibbon’s piece offers a mysterious and elusive profundity that served as a starting point for my piece. I decided to write a theme and variations, based not so much on particular melodic lines from Gibbons, but on the various emotional tones he imbues into specific chords: isolation, determination, hope, melancholia, frustration, peace, and above all, a pervasive ambivalence.
- DH

Masatora Goya “How We Became Stardust" for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano (2023)
Do we gaze at the stars because we are..., or were..., or will be...? - MG

​