Kees Vlak

Concerto For Bass Clarinet And Band

This is Kees Vlak's most ambitious composition. Before writing this work, the composer listened for many hours to a most gifted bass clarinet player. So he discovered that the instrument ranges over five octaves and needs a lighter blow than the ordinary B flat clarinet. The sonority of the instrument in the upper register really charmed the composer. All these elements deeply influenced the composition. The cadenza requires a fine technique and a real artistic feeling from the soloist. Part 1 is written in a sonata form with a cadenza. Part 2 is written in a song form. Part 3 is a scherzo with many mutations. For instance, the repeat starts with the second theme, whereas the initial theme concludes the work.