Quartet in F for Flute, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon

This piece for Flute Clarinet Horn and Bassoon was premiered April 18th 2012 in Istanbul by its commissioner the Nis’tanbul Quartet composed of Sibel Pensel Aysegül Kirmanoglu Patrick Peignier and Arthur Menrath.    Armando Ghidoni's Swinging Counterpoint keeps all of its title’s promises: flowing with the same naturalness the same fluidity as Bach’s the counterpoint masterfully blends the colours and the lilt of swing. Recorded by the Nis’tanbul Quartet for the label Chant de Linos the work bursts with inspiration a melodic sincerity and a joyfulinsouciance.

Andalag #05 - Quartet for Flute Clarinet Horn and Basson (2012). Part of Andalag - Suite in 11 movements. Parts are available: WH31437A Programme note Some years ago I was asked by the Faroese ensemble Aldubáran to compose duets for the woodwinds within the ensemble. The idea then came to me to write a Suite with the name “Andalag” in 11 movements. 8 movements are duets and are approximately 4 min. long. 2 movements are quartets and are approximately 8 min. long and 1 movement is an octet which is approximately 16 min. long. In other words the Suite will last approximately60 min.   The (octet) instrumentation is 2 flutes 2 clarinets 2 horns and 2 bassoons. The Faroese word “andalag” has a multilayerd meaning. The first half of the word is “anda” and means to breath or spirit and the second half of the word “lag” means melodi mood or layer. I use two small ideas in this Suite. One idea is in a sort of major mood and the other in a sort of minor mood. Sunleif Rasmussen May 2013

For Clarinet solo with wind quartet and string quartet. Score OnlyFirst performed by Michael Collins Clarinet London Winds and the Endellion String Quartet on 27th January 2011 at the Wigmore Hall London.Scoring:Solo ClarinetFluteOboeBassoonFrench Horn2 ViolinsViolaCelloDuration:circa 13 minutes'During a visit to the exhibition of Francis Bacon at the Tate Gallery in December 2008my eye fell on Figure in a Landscape 1945 which resonated in me powerfully. It is a sceneof devastation and despair and also it seemed to me of latent anger and hostility... butabove it all a serene blue sky beckons. So perhaps even in the darkest moments there is aglimmer of hope - the possibility of change.This idea became the starting point for this work - Towards the Blue - a mini concerto forclarinet who eventually becomes the leader of the group.The work starts without the clarinet and all is desolate yet fiercely argumentative discordant and uncomfortable. Suddenly the offstage clarinet is heard and the players insurprise are quietened. However when the clarinet enters and approaches with a lyricalmusical motif some of the players respond others resist. Gradually the clarinetpersuades the dissident voices to join him in a spirit of co-operation and harmony.A brief memory of the opening desolation casts a momentary shadow which is quicklydispelled by the coda marked Gioioso.'Thea Musgrave (May 13th 2010)Parts available for hire separately

Par ROSSINI GIOACHINO. / Répertoire / Flûte Traversière, Clarinette, Cor Français et Bas

Harp Solo-The solo Harp part for Per Nørgård's Gennem Torne / Through Thorns (2003) Harp Concerto No. 2 - Passage for Harp Solo with Flute Clarinet and String Quartet.Premiered by Tine Rehling (Harp) and the Esbjerg Ensemble conducted by Kaisa Roose at the Concert Hall of the Western Jutland Academy of Music Esbjerg 28th January 2004.Programme Note THROUGH THORNS has a duration of about 20 minutes in one continuous movement thus the subtitle 'passage'. The work is scored for harp solo flute clarinet and string quartet. The title is borrowed from the lines from an old Virgin Mary Hymn: 'Marywanders through thorns' a hymn which ends with the following line: 'then roses grew forth amongst the thorns'. I only came across the poem after finishing the composition the 'passage' of which is a journey of sometimes dramatic events concluding with a 'rose-blooming' as does the hymn. For THROUGH THORNS to borrow its title from a Virgin Mary Hymn has to do with the musical material and current of the piece which brings motives from an earlier choral piece of mine FLOS UT ROSA (Latin for 'a flower like a rose') and the rose in question is of course the one which grew forth when the Virgin Mary gave birth to the Infant Jesus in a hitherto unheard-of fashion a NOVA GENITURA (new birth) which is the title of another work of mine that also derives its material from my original 'rose'-melody from 1975. THROUGH THORNS is dedicated to Tine Rehling and together with her I have tried to expand the sonorities of the harp by exploring existing techniques and their more remote regions in order to gain access to new territory and new soundscaoes as realised by the constantly experimentally-minded and virtuoso player. Per Nørgård 2004.   

Parts for Andalag #05 - Quartet for Alto Flute Clarinet Horn and Bassoon (2012). Score: WH31437

Quintet for Wind Instruments in E flat major op. 88 2-Reicha published a total of 24 wind quintets for the ?classical? scoring of flute oboe clarinet horn and bassoon; op. 88 no. 2 is one of the best-loved and most played. ?If it were possible to surpass Haydn in the compositionof quartets and quintets Reicha would have succeeded with these quintets? thus raved the ?Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung? on a performance of Reicha?s quintets ?it seems to me that it is impossible to unite more correctnessand clarity with more inventiveness and originality.? This work exudes inspiration and spirit from every note. In addition to the parts we have also produced a handy study edition of the score.