Arrivederci

Listen to the work here!
 
Arrivederci is a work for a clarinet choir, with the following instrumentation:
Bb Clarinet 1-4
Bass Clarinet
Contrabass Clarinet (or Bass Clarinet)
 
This is an early work of mine, which I wrote as a sophomore in high school, and dedicated to the many cherished friends I had made that were graduating at the end of that year. In particular, there were five graduating seniors in my high school marching band’s percussion section that I had grown quite close to, and I was nervous about the prospect of returning to school the following year without all of them in the section. As I was also stepping into a leadership role in the marching band at the end of that year, I remember the high-tension feeling of not having them to look up to.
 
As with most uneasy situations, I did my best to find joy in each moment and look for the silver lining, and the understanding that my worries of not seeing my friends anymore were a manifestation of the value of those friendships manifested into this piece. Scored for an ensemble of clarinets, the work is a simple and joyous march in compound time, with two melodic strains and a trio. Musically, Arrivederci is characterized by chromatic lines in the lower voices, a harmonic language that attempts to take full advantage of the clarinets’ ability to blend as a section, and in particular the passing of scoops (represented by glissandi in the score) around the ensemble, giving the music a whimsical, calliope-like quality. It is my way of sending well wishes to those friends and all I have made since that I’ve grown apart from.