Bass Clarinet Concerto
Bass Trombone Concerto

by Don Bowyer

This concerto, written for the legendary music teacher William T. Robinson, is scored for bass clarinet (or bass trombone) and string orchestra, with an optional piano reduction. The three-movement work is approximately nine minutes long, each movement leading directly to the next.

The first movement opens with a slow introduction based on quartal harmony. The main portion of the movement is an allegro that explores changing meters. The second movement is slow, with a mournful character. The modal harmony is centered around D minor. The third movement is in an Afro-Caribbean style. The second and third movements include cadenzas for the soloist.

Premiered October 17, 2008.

Audio (bass clarinet and strings):

Video (bass trombone and piano):

Don Bowyer, bass trombone; Kathryn Fouse, piano
November 16, 2009

Movement I – Adagio/Allegro

Movement 2 – Adagio

Movement 3 – Allegro