Clarinet, piano

SKU: FG.55011-334-3

Frolic per clarinetto e piano. Composed by Kirmo Lintinen. Fennica Gehrman #55011-334-3. Published by Fennica Gehrman (FG.55011-334-3).

ISBN 9790550113343.

Composer, pianist and conductor Kirmo Lintinen is equally at home in jazz as in the world of classical music. Since the turn of the millennium, his main job has specifically been composing concert music. Stylistically, he has found his biggest inspiration in the Baroque and in early 20th-century Neoclassicism. He composed Rieha (Frolic) as a commission from the Crusell Music Festival in Uusikaupunki, Finland, as the obligatory piece for its international clarinet competition, and it was premiered by the semi-finalists in July 2009.
The first part of Rieha is dominated by spurting arpeggios, trills and changing tempos. Following this impulsive opening is a brief respite, after which the piano and clarinet begin competing, tossing each other quick, accented semiquaver figures. The rhythm soon becomes syncopated and the piece enters the longest section, a sort of hypertuned, lurching ragtime. The closing section recalls all the work's motifs before burning itself out and vanishing like smoke.
Rieha is a consummate virtuoso piece demanding nimble fingers, sharp articulation and a command of tone in all the clarinet's registers. The piano is more than just an accompanying instrument; it is an equal partner. The biggest challenge for the players is synchronising their parts: the changing tempos and metres, and the alternation of quick figures keep the performers on their toes and the audience alert.