double concerto for Clarinet and Bassoon
Duration ca. 20' (2018)
2.2.2.2/4.2.2.1/hp/timp + 1 /str
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World premiere interview with the Pittsburgh Symphony
Commissioned by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
Premiered by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra conducted by Manfred Honeck, soloists Michael Rusinek and Nancy Goeres, June 6-9, 2019.
Mr. Leshnoff’s concerto, eminently approachable and tonal, comprised three movements: a gently meandering, transparent opening set mostly in the high register of the orchestra and bassoon; a droll waltz that paired the bassoon’s jocular side with muted brass; and a quick, lighthearted romp of a finale built on long chains of virtuosic lines traded between the solo instruments and orchestra...Mr. Leshnoff’s writing bears a songlike smoothness, effectively expressed by the evening’s soloists.
—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 2019
Leshnoff’s soundworld, unashamedly tonal, possesses a melodic sensuality and textural piquancy reminiscent of Tchaikovsky’s great Russian contemporary, Rimsky-Korsakov.
—BBC Music Magazine, July 2020
Wholly engaging.
—Gramophone, September 2020
Attractive...delightfully entertaining without the histrionics of other concertos.
—American Record Guide, September 2020
For those who recoil from contemporary music, have I got a piece for you. The Leshnoff Double Concerto is an 18-minute gem. Its unusual combination of clarinet and bassoon with orchestra is a delight, and Leshnoff’s writing for the two instruments is virtuosic and superb.
—Culture Spot LA, May 2020
I found it all [the concerto] hugely enjoyable, clever, as well as memorable and had me immediately scurrying away to find out what else Leshnoff had composed.
—Lee Denham, MusicWeb International, August 2020
This new classical gem is from another gifted composer, Jonathan Leshnoff, in his delectable exploration of the unique sounds created when a solo clarinet and bassoon join forces with a sparkling orchestra.
—Boston Concert Reviews, August 2020
A marvel…a work with amazing melodic appeal, and virtuosic flourishes that enhance the overall buoyant and lifting feeling of the piece.
—Stephen Ritter, Audophile Audition, July 2020
In all, it’s a fetching piece, one that shows off both solo instruments exceedingly well, and is highlighted by engaging orchestral writing, to boot. Clarinetist Michael Rusinek and bassoonist Nancy Goeres (respective PSO principals) imbue their solo lines with a naturalness and chemistry that’s thoroughly involving.
—The Arts Fuse, May 2020
It is gorgeous music that never offends the ear....it is firmly tonal, likable and listenable.
—Bachtrack, June 2019
I suspect for most listeners, the only Concertante work written in the last hundred years, featuring the unusual combination of clarinet and bassoon, that they will have encountered will be Richard Strauss’s Duet-Concertino of 1947. It is, therefore, a pleasure to welcome such a meticulously crafted and instantly accessible piece as Leshnoff’s ‘Double Concerto for Clarinet and Bassoon’.
—HRAudio.net
It's an absolutely beautiful work, masterfully conceived, and the playing is astonishing.
—David Hurwitz, Classics Today
…a clever and ear-catching three movement work full of intricate repartee between the two instruments…
—Classical Music Sentinel, May 2020
If this Double Concerto is typical of his work then I’m keen to hear more....the concerto is delightful from first bar to last.
—John Quinn, MusicWeb International, June 2020
Leshnoff composed a wonderful work, which is clearly committed to melody. Even the introductory, floating string chords catch your eye. The solo bassoon wonderfully employs a catchy melodic phrase to enter into a personal dialogue with the floating solo clarinet... An extremely worthwhile example of a contemporary work, which should definitely find its way into the concert halls, was enthusiastically performed in this recording.
—Online Merker, May 2020
program note
“When writing a concerto, I have to write with the soloists front and center in my mind. This contrasts with symphonic works where I speak directly through the orchestra without any intermediary. The concerto, however, is about the soloists and I must funnel musical ideas through the solo instruments’ capacities and idiosyncrasies. This dilemma is compounded in a double concerto where my job is not only to communicate through one instrument, but also to consider how the two instruments combine and interact. After much study and consideration, I discovered that there were some magical combinations that the clarinet and bassoon can make with each other. I found that the bassoon can be very plaintive and resonant in its higher register, and that mixing that sound with the timbre of the clarinet yields some remarkable qualities. I also explored the extremes in register of both instruments.
The concerto is in three movements. The first is slow and contemplative and explores the sweetness of the bassoon’s higher register. The concerto opens with placid strings and the bassoon playing a high melancholy theme before the clarinet enters and expands the sonic horizon. The brief second movement is a jocular waltz with exciting rhythms. The third movement is fast and pulsing, characterized by both instruments passing off a motive with surprising accents in the rapid tempo. After a lyrical theme is presented by each soloist, the concerto closes triumphantly with virtuosic runs.”