Shulamit Ran

Spirit

Spirit was composed in memory of the renowned clarinetist Laura Flax. Laura commissioned Ran's first solo clarinet work, For an Actor: Monologue for Clarinet (114-40236), to premiere with the Da Capo Chamber Players in 1978. Ran returned to the clarinet in many compositions over the years, sometimes as a lead instrument and at other times as an important voice, yet always inspired by Laura's rich sound, blazing technique, and the brain and guts that she brought to her playing. As a memorial, Spirit is not about absence, but rather a celebration displaying a wide range of emotions, with at least a tiny glimpse of Laura's brilliant spirit and spiritedness. Only in the work's final stretch does the sense of parting and loss take over.