Equilibrium for clarinet and string quartet (2024)

Program Notes:

The word equilibrium implies balance. It seems to me that the world, especially recently, is careening towards being very unbalanced and out of sorts. From climate change to politics, extremes seem to rule the day. This work focuses on the striving for a sense of equilibrium and is in three contrasting movements. The first movement, Still/Animated, seeks to balance two types of music: the first, static and calm, and the second, rhythmically active. The back and forth between the two, and the proportion of each, results in a kind of conversation through form. The second movement, Chant, uses Gregorian chant as its basis, but expands and weaves the lines into a more contemporary texture. The third movement, Tipping Point, is fast-paced and at times frantic, always pushing to the edge and constantly propelling itself forward to the end.

This work was commissioned by the Arizona Friends of Chamber Music, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Chamber Music Houston, and the Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth. Jean-Paul Bierny and Chris Tanz sponsored this commission for the Arizona Friends of Chamber Music. Jean-Paul recently passed away and was a fierce advocate for new music - the music world will greatly miss him.

-- Pierre Jalbert