Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra – Full Score

Description

The Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra was composed from March through May 2009. The concerto was commissioned by Christina Marioneaux as a gift honoring her husband James’ 60th birthday.

Composer Leroy Osmon has known clarinetist James Marioneaux for more than 40 years and in fact, composed a work for him in the late 1960’s while both were doing undergraduate work at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. Because of the commission being from the soloist’s wife, Osmon used the opportunity to allow the two (horn and clarinet) to have a musical conversation that shows a full range of emotions.

The concerto is in the standard three-movement format:
1. Con grazia e agilmente
2. Lento con molta passione
3. Marcato enfatico

The orchestration is for piccolo (2nd flute), flute, oboe, English horn, bass clarinet, 2 bassoon, 4 horn in F, 2 trumpet in C, 2 trombone, tuba, strings, harp, piano, tympani, 3 percussionists and solo clarinet. Performance time is approximately 18 minutes and 30 seconds.
The first movement used the rhythm of the huapango (a popular Mexican folk dance), with the placing of stress on counts 1 and 5 followed by a measure that stresses counts 1, 3 and 5, thus giving a feeling of 6/8 followed by 3/4.

The second movement is, like most concertos, slow and more melodic. This movement gives the clarinet the opportunity to interact with other instruments and in this case, primarily with the principal horn. The colors and textures used are much darker than those in the previous movement.

The third movement is derived more from rhythmic motifs than from melodic material, however, it maintains a playfulness and almost lightness in style.

Published by: RBC Publications