Clarinet Trio in E major, Op. 5

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Clarinet Part

Violin Part

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This trio was composed in August and September of 1978 and first performed on 5 October of that year at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.

In every respect except its concision, it is modelled upon the chamber music of Max Reger: the oblique, floating tonality and the dance-like rhythms.

Of its four movements, the first three are all written in 6/8 time, but they are nonetheless in three different meters: a slowish two, a very fast two, and a slow six.

The first movement is in sonata form; its tonic triad does not appear in root position until the recapitulation.

The scherzo is in G minor, with a trio tune in D-flat; nothing is lingered over, and it is all done in scarcely more than a minute.

The slow movement is in C major, but spends most of its time roaming around distant harmonies -- and showing that they are not really so distant after all.

The finale is a double fugue in sonata form.