SKU: PR.114422650

ISBN 9781491134528. UPC: 680160685004.

Charmingly packed with wit, grace, symbolism, and irony, Shulamit Ran’s THE FLIGHT OF THE BRAVE CHICKEN celebrates the life and work of a graphic artist and illustrator (who played clarinet), who lost her battle with cancer as a young adult. The six-minute duo begins as a dramatic dialog for bass clarinet and piccolo, gradually evolving to peaceful resolution for flute and clarinet. The work may be performed with projections of the original art panels that inspired the work.
Brave Chicken was a character developed by Nina Frenkel, gifted illustrator, graphicartist, and beloved friend to many, who passed away at the age of 43 having lost adifficult battle with cancer. Her parents, Marcel and Anne Frenkel, approached mein May 2017 about composing a short work in Nina’s memory, suggesting that it bebased on four delightful panels that Nina had painted in 2014 before she knew of therecurrence of the disease.Titled “Brave Chicken Meets the Ogre,” “Brave Chicken Fights the Ogre,” “BraveChicken Flees to Safety,” and “Brave Chicken in the Healing Hut,” the four panelsdepict a progression from darkness to light. And while my composition does notattempt to follow the four panels literally, I did aim to create two distinctly differentmusical characters who are posed against one another with one clearly perceived asdominant and threatening, and trace the evolving change in the balance of power,and with it the journey from darkness to light.Inspired by the knowledge that Nina herself greatly enjoyed playing the clarinet, Idecided to pair bass clarinet with piccolo, eventually switching the piccolo over toflute, with clarinet appearing in time for the work’s peaceful conclusion. Though I hadnever met Nina, I felt honored to compose this work in her memory.