Quintessential Clarinet 

January 29/30, 2023

Anthony McGill, clarinet

Jaime Laredo, violin

James Thompson, violin*

Milena Pájaro-van de Stadt, viola*

Sharon Robinson, cello

*Linton Debut

Anthony McGill’s highly anticipated return to the Linton stage features two works that are considered masterpieces of the chamber music repertoire. He will be joined by Linton Artistic Directors, Jaime Laredo & Sharon Robinson and two outstanding artists making their Linton debuts to perform these quintessential quintets. 

Program Notes

James Lee III (b. 1975)
Principal Brothers No. 3

The year 2020 has definitely been a very challenging year with many upheavals. During this time of the Covid-19 health crisis, wearing masks, and high racial tensions, I decided to compose four short solo woodwind works for flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon, which represent the core woodwind section in an orchestra. I was inspired to compose these short pieces after I first heard Igor Stravinsky’s three short pieces for clarinet, which total a little more than four minutes in duration.

I thought that it would be nice to highlight and honor my African American male colleagues in the orchestral music world. I wanted to celebrate the fact that they are the principal players in the section of their respective orchestras. The short pieces are as follows: Principal Brothers No. 1 for flute solo for Demarre McGill, Principal Flute of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra; Principal Brothers No. 2 for oboe solo for Titus Underwood, Principal Oboe of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra; Principal Brothers No. 3 for clarinet solo for Anthony McGill, Principal Clarinet of the New York Philharmonic, and Principal Brothers No. 4 for bassoon solo for Bryan Young, Principal Bassoon of the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. These works all begin with notes that are representative of their names: D for Demarre, B for Titus (ti in solfège starting on C), A for Anthony, and B-flat for Bryan. There is also a rhythmic figure in the opening measures of each piece, which represents the utterance of their names. All four of these works are rhapsodic in nature with elements of improvisation.

*Notes by the composer

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791)

Clarinet Quintet in A Major, K. 581

The clarinet as an instrument owes a great debt of gratitude to Mozart. Before Mozart’s time, the instrument was often employed similarly to a trumpet—providing colorful (and often strident) interjections and accents. Mozart was the first composer to truly embrace the softer expressive qualities of the clarinet that define it as a solo and ensemble instrument. Mozart’s profound appreciation of the instrument’s ability to produce both beautiful melodic lines and virtuosic flourishes is put on display throughout his Quintet for Clarinet and Strings.

The first movement sets the mood for the entire piece. A noble melody in the strings opens the Quintet. The clarinet first comments briefly then joins the strings to elaborate and lead the music forward. Twice more, string voices present new themes and the clarinet answers. This wealth of melodic material continues in solo arias and tightly linked ensemble passages. The second movement Larghetto is a long, soulful aria in the clarinet accompanied by muted strings. Mozart achieves an ethereal blend of the five instruments as the clarinet pours out what he called its “soft, sweet breath.”

The third movement consists of a minuet and, unusually, two trios—the first for strings alone and the second for all instruments. The first trio, for the strings alone, introduces a melancholy minor-key theme that stands in striking contrast to the good-natured minuet. The second trio, for clarinet solo and strings, again stands in stark contrast to the minuet by presenting a rustic peasant dance that allows the clarinet to showcase its range of timbre.

The Finale presents a theme and six variations. This movement, more than any other, demonstrates Mozart’s unique appreciation for the clarinet’s musical range. In some variations, the theme is embellished to display the clarinet’s athletic abilities, while in others the theme is reworked to produce different moods and textures. During the third variation’s plaintive viola lament, the clarinet murmurs softly in low tones. After Mozart lingers in the somber fifth variation Adagio, he closes the Quintet with a sprightly, joyous final variation.

Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897)
Clarinet Quintet in B Minor, Op. 115

Brahms’ clarinet quintet is one of his final works—written late in his career, after he had already chosen to retire. After completing his Viola Quintet in G in 1890, the composer decided his creative output was at its end, and he resolved to spend his remaining days ordering his affairs and relaxing. Fortunately, upon a visit to Meiningen, he heard a performance by the gifted clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld and was inspired to return to his craft, composing his Clarinet Trio, Clarinet Quintet, two Clarinet Sonatas, and four final piano works, opp. 116-119.

The Quintet begins with a brief violin duet that lays the groundwork for the opening Allegro. This opening movement wavers between major and minor modes as it drives to its second theme. The interplay of these contrasting ideas forms the heart of the opening movement until its gentle melancholy gives way to a remarkable Adagio in a simple three-part form: The clarinet first introduces a floating, dreamlike melody before handing it off to the violin and, ultimately, gently subverting it. The contrasting middle section does not introduce new material, but instead morphs the theme into a dark and wild rhapsody before returning to the calmer character of the original statement for the closing section.

The Andantino opens as a simple pastorale with two themes that Brahms quickly transforms into a scherzo-like Presto. Here, Brahms cleverly maintains a steady beat between sections while creating the illusion of a great change in tempo. The finale presents a theme and five variations reminiscent of the first and third movements. For the fifth variation and coda, Brahms recalls the opening theme of the first movement in a gesture that wistfully concludes the quintet with a memory of how it began.