Music by DANIEL DORFF |
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| Dark Romance for 3 Bb Clarinets and Bass Clarinet | |||
| Duration: c. 4'
DETAILS PROGRAM NOTES For several years in the early 1990s, I played bass clarinet in a quartet with 3 clarinetists who were Gigliotti students at Temple University, and we were also the clarinet section of the nearby Haddonfield Symphony. While I mainly wrote arrangements of short classical pieces for our quartet, I also composed Fast Walk, It Takes Four to Tango, and Dark Romance for our performances. Being especially fond of the rich, lowest register of all size clarinets, and most especially the visceral feeling of playing down in the chalumeau range, I had the title before the music for this slow movement. This was just the starting impulse, and the music spans much of the instruments' range, perhaps with an emotionally dark dreaminess. There have been many beautiful performances carefully expressing the dynamic and tempo nuances on the page. In May 2026, the Air Force Band of the West Clarinets further developed the spirit of the work beyond what's actually written, drawing out the pacing and adding a cadenza. The result is a moving, new deeper version which is linked above. (Highly recommended!) |
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last updated May 25, 2026 | |
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