Rondo Variations

rondo variations

for solo clarinet and wind ensemble

In 1985 I was commissioned to write a Clarinet Concerto for that prince of English clarinettists, Jack Brymer, who celebrated his seventieth birthday in that year. I dedicated the concerto to Jack who gave the first performance with his accustomed impeccable style and skill. The last movement: Variazione al Rondo, always struck me as a candidate for rescoring for wind ensemble, and Rondo Variations is the result.

The soloist introduces the rondo theme, which is tailor-made for the instrument. Nine variations follow, which both develop the theme and encapsulate new material, including a slower middle section (variations six, seven and eight), which has its own internal structure: Andante – Allegretto – Andante con moto. In the Finale (variation nine), recurring themes are further developed, and the soloist introduces a new tune with a distinctly Gallic flavour, before reminding us of the original statement.

The original Clarinet Concerto was commissioned by the Beauchamp Sinfonietta in 1985, with generous support from Mercia Sound, the Coventry-based independent radio station serving Coventry and Warwickshire.

GW