CLARINET CONCERTO
for bass clarinet and piano
finalist for the 2008 American Prize for Orchestral Composition
©2008 Wrong Note Media, Inc.
Second Edition Printing: 2025
979-0-800218-02-6
engraving by Cody Myre piano part edited by Mary Goetz
TODD GOODMAN CONCERTO FOR BASS CLARINET for bass clarinet and piano
Total Duration | Durée totale | Gesamtdauer
19’00
This work may not be reproduced or transmitted in whole or in part by any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
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PROGRAM NOTES
CONCERTO FOR BASS CLARINET
Todd Goodman’s Concerto for Bass Clarinet and Orchestra was commissioned by Bruce Lauffer and the Beaver Valley Philharmonic to conclude their 2008-09 season. The work in two movements, takes the orchestra and soloist through a passionate journey of the relationship between a child and a parent.
The first movement, Promenade comique, translated as funny walk, is an argument between the orchestra, who is acting as the parent, and the soloist, who is representing the child. The orchestra begins the movement with a strict and serious march, which is constantly interrupted by the jocular bass clarinet. As the march progresses, both the bass clarinet and the orchestra get increasingly frustrated with one another, which leads to an explosion of tempers. A repetitious figure is heard pulsing in the orchestra as the soloist sings a subdued lyrical aria in its attempts to calm the angered parent. As the frustration level slowly abates, a variation of the march comes back, yet this time the roles are reversed. The bass clarinet is trying to be serious and the orchestra interrupts with funny gestures from the opening. This culminates with a return to the opening march with the characters playing their appropriate roles.
The second movement, A berceuse a rêve, translated as a lullaby and dream, reverses the roles of the two characters and tells the story of a parent, this time represented by the bass clarinet, who is trying to put their child, the orchestra, to sleep. The orchestra begins with mysterious unrest and bursts into an extremely energetic figure, which is repeated throughout this movement as a sign of the child’s procrastination. In between these energetic bursts, the soloist tries to calm the child by singing to it a simple lyrical lullaby. Each time the parent is interrupted, the lullaby becomes more prominent and overcomes the tired orchestra. As the lullaby comes to a close, the child starts to dream wild images of various dances. These dances move throughout the ensemble as its principal members dance with the bass clarinet in soloistic duets, trios, and quartets. Hints of the lullaby, that are fresh in the mind of the child, return throughout the dream, which ends with an abrupt simultaneous eruption of all the dances, waking the child. The parent in one last effort sings a fraction of the lullaby, ending the piece.
This work lasts approximately nineteen minutes.
For more music, please visit www.WrongNoteMedia.com
Finalist for the 2008 American Prize for Orchestral Composition
ABOUT THE COMPOSER
as of September 2025
TODD GOODMAN is a prominent figure in the contemporary classical music scene, pushing the boundaries of the genre with his unique style and vision. His music is performed and recorded around the globe by musicians of all levels—including, world-renowned soloists, top-tier professional ensembles, academic ensembles, and learners of all ages. Goodman has been the recipient of numerous awards, grants, commissions, and honors from organizations such as the American Prize, the British Trombone Society, the International Tuba Euphonium Association, the National Endowment for the Arts, New Music America, and many others. As an advocate for arts education, Goodman has served for over two decades in various compositional and educational residencies with orchestras, festivals, opera companies, performing arts centers, and academic institutions around the United States, and was a nominee for the very first Educator of the Year Grammy™ Award.
Recordings of Goodman’s music can be found on Wrong Note Media, Potenza, Hello Stage, Arts Laureate, Duquesne University Press, Bridge, Records DK, and Push Records. Goodman holds degrees from the University of Colorado at Boulder, Duquesne University, and Kent State University, and has studied at l’École Normale de Musique in Paris, France, and the Aspen Music Festival in Aspen, Colorado. He currently resides outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
More information about Todd Goodman can be found at www.WrongNoteMedia.com and www.ToddGoodmanComposer.com.
FOR CALVIN
Thanks for thinking of this!
“If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with
anything original
KEN ROBINSON
bass clarinet
reduction by the composer piano part edited by Mary Goetz
Movement Two A berceuse a rêve
Mysterious, with Growing Intensity (q = 72)
MORE WOODWIND MUSIC FROM TODD GOODMAN
CHAMBER MUSIC
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Imprint (6’) - violin, clarinet, and piano WNM41401
Wanderlust (6’) - originally for horn (or euphonium), tuba, and piano WNM41701 also scored for clarinet, bass clarinet, and piano WNM41701clr
CONCERTI
Alto Saxophone Concerto (19’) - alto saxophone and accompaniment
piano WNM10601red orchestra WNM10601
wind ensemble WNM10601we
Piccolo Concerto (20’) - piccolo and accompaniment piano WNM10702red orchestra WNM10702 wind ensemble WNM10702we
Seeing Double (17’) - alto flute, English horn, and accompaniment piano WNM12401red orchestra WNM12401 wind ensemble WNM12401we
