One thought on “Clarke (Symon) Threnodia”

1. First performance; The Kingfisher Ensemble, St. Andrews Church, Wissett, Suffolk, October 25, 2014 to commemorate the beginning of the First World War.

   Notes: Threnodia was written for a concert commemorating the 100th anniversary of the beginning of First World War. The entirety of the thirteen-minute work takes place in a single tempo (crotchet=52), and the lament that unfolds focuses and builds upon the single, simple idea heard in the opening phrase of the strings. As the theme begins, the clarinet (who, in live performance, begins either to the side or even behind the audience) sings out a line that falls over and over, before quite surprisingly turning into an upward swoop that passes the soloists roll to the first violinist. The first violin and violoncello add soloistic commentary on the music that came before, as the clarinet joins the quartet for an intense passage with sharp interjections over a running arpeggiation in the viola. As the clarinet takes back the roll of soloist, the theme persists inexhaustibly, and eventually even the clarinet falls silent for the final iteration, joining the string quartet on the final chord – two octaves lower than where it began. Aaron Holloway-Nahum

   Performance directions: If there is a suitable space and acoustic, the Clarinet should begin the piece away from the string group; either behind or to one side of the audience. The Clarinet joins the string group at bar 56, after completing the phrase in bar 42 – a gap of about one minute. If the performing space and/or acoustic are unsuitable or it is otherwise decided that spacial separation is not desirable, the clarinet should play sitting with the string group throughout.

   Accidentals apply to notes for the whole bar. Cautionary accidentals are
   given in the parts and in some places in the score.

   Source: Composer
   DLO

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