There and Back
for solo Bass Clarinet and Piano
Duration: ca. 8'
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The work is in a large-scale ABA form: the A section is comprised of a series of miniature episodes, vibrant in nature; the B section is flowing and lyrical, providing artistic contrast to A. With the return of the A theme, the episodes are presented in reverse order, creating a skillfully crafted palindromic rondo, complete with a subtle reference to a major 21st century musical force.
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-Program note by Dr. Laura Bennett Cameron
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Following an outstanding recital performance in 2022 by Dr. Cayla Bellamy, clarinetist Dr. Wesley Ferreira suggested the idea of rearranging this music for solo bass clarinet. A few weeks later, I released the arrangement you see here. While a few minor tweaks have been made to exploit the wonderful colors of the bass clarinet, this piece otherwise follows the original bassoon arrangement very closely. Reduced (optional) noteheads in the piece allow the work to be played by musicians with or without an instrument capable of a low C.
Info on the Commissioning Party
Laura Bennett Cameron’s artistic and research activities in Europe and in the United States have established an international reputation for expressive playing, innovative collaborations, and expansion of the bassoon’s repertoire through her work with French composer Roger Boutry.
Dr. Bennett Cameron serves as Assistant Professor of Applied Bassoon and Chamber Music at the University of Texas-Arlington, where she has served the university for eight years, and oversees the bassoon studio and woodwind chamber music. In addition to her position as the principal bassoon of the five-time Grammy-nominated Dallas Winds, Dr. Bennett Cameron also substitutes with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, among others. Laura appears frequently as a soloist, having given recent recitals in the US and Europe, and performed concertos and solos with orchestras across the US.
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Dr. Bennett Cameron holds a Doctor of Music in Bassoon from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, with concentrations in Music Theory and Early Music. She holds a Master of Music degree is from the New England Conservatory of Music, and a Bachelor of Music from West Texas A&M University (all degrees earned with highest honors). Her principal teachers were William Ludwig, Richard Svoboda, Dr. Tina Carpenter, and Michael McCraw. In addition to an active solo recital schedule and regular chamber performances, she maintains a small private bassoon studio in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. She is a member of the Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society, the International Double Reed Society, Society for Music Theory, the Texas Music Educators Association, and serves on the Board of Directors for the Friends of WRR Classical, the second longest running radio station in the United States.
