Variants (2022) by bobcohenmusic

Variants for Bb Clarinet & Bb Bass Clarinet Robert S. Cohen Leapfrog Productions 303 Upper Mountain Ave. Upper Montclair, NJ 07043 www.robertscohen.com bobcohenmusic@gmail.com (973) 783-9192 ©2022 for Guido Arbonelli & Natalia Benedetti

Composer's Notes

This work is my musical interpretation of my feelings surrounding the Covid 19 pandemic.

1.Alpha-dreadofthecomingpandemic

2.Delta-panicovertheworstofthevariants.

3.Omicron-sadnessandsenseoflosseventhoughthenewvariantislesslethal.

4.Zeta-animaginaryfinalcold-likevariantthatallowsustoexuberantly resumeanormallife.

1. Alpha

              ClarinetinB BbBassClarinet         63 N  Adagioconpauraepresagio (freely) =56            6 7 N                3          6 7 accel.         5 6  rit. =80               5    a tempo                  555 (key clicks) N  molto rit.    (half & half)                      9 Atempo  N  8               9  Variants

      10                     9                           9       11                        99     12                 9                    9 cresc. cresc.   13                                             dim. dim. 4Variants

      14                                       dim. dim.   cresc. poco a poco cresc. poco a poco           15                                        16                                                     animato  animato                 17                       rit.        Variants5

                       3   =52 Unpocomenomosso   19       3                   3                  22               3       3 3       33                            25                                                       27                                    rit. al niente al niente   6Variants

              ClarinetinB BbBassClarinet               Allegroagitato   =92                                    3                               6 3                                5                                                                     8                                                                         11                                                                 13 misterioso misterioso    6 Variants 2. Delta

              14                      furioso furioso                                misterioso misterioso                  16                           furioso            6              55                                          marcato marcato furioso 18                                                      21                                                                             23                                                                      7Variants

              26                     cresc. poco a poco   cresc. poco a poco                                                                            28                                30                                              animato animato                        32                                                                                35                         6666                       3 666 furioso furioso   Variants8

          36                        667                        66 7                                    6666   37           38                    666           39                       333333  dim. poco a poco                 41                333 333                 333 3 3 3 rit.       9Variants

                                Atempo 43                       45                               47                                                            49                                              cresc. poco a poco cresc. poco a poco           51                                                            Variants10

          53                                           55                                                       57                                         marcato marcato                         59                                                                           62       33             333   sub. sub.        333             333 cresc. poco a poco cresc. poco a poco 11Variants

          64      3333      3 3 3 3      336 7     33        66               allargando                   Variants12

              ClarinetinB BassClarinet         Lentocontristezza  semplice semplice             =72                                    5                      poco rit.           a tempo  espress. espress.                9                                     poco rit.               14       2       L’istessotempo   leggiero leggiero                           2                       17                2                        2       14 Variants

3. Omicron

      20              2                                  23           dim. poco a poco dim. poco a poco                     rit.       N N                          27 Tempoprimo =72 tristemente tristemente                                        30                                     sostenuto sostenuto              33                     molto rall.         a tempo     15Variants

(begin playing while wearing masks)

      ClarinetinB BbBassClarinet                          Spiritoconironiaesarcasmo                                   =116                                           4              

                       G.P. G.P. (throw off masks)   7                   giocoso                                                   giocoso   10                                                                            16 Variants

4. Zeta

  13                                                              15                                                                                   17 leggiero                leggiero                                 20                                                                                           23                                                                                      17Variants

      26                                                                     cantabile cantabile 29 Unpocomenomosso=108                                         32                                                                      35                                                                                                                             38                                                                                                                                                                            Variants18

              41                                                                                                                                      44                                    poco rit.                                       45 con affetto con affetto   a tempo                                                  47                                                                                                                                   50                                                                                    53                                                                                                               19Variants

(performers suddenly stop playing... take their mouthpieces off and begin creating funny sounds by blowing through them randomly, oblivious to the audience. After a short period of some fun they, just as suddenly become aware of the audience, put their mouthpieces in - as if nothing unusal had happened - and continue on.)

      57                                                                                                                           61                                                                                 sub.  sub.               G.P. G.P. 64                     65 Tempoprimo                                                           68                                                                                     Variants20

      71                                                                                         74                                                         77          6         3 allargando                                  78 Piumosso =132                        80                                                                             cresc. cresc.                           84                                             7                       21Variants