Bass Clarinet and Bass Clarinet (to Low Eb) Duet in G Minor, Op. 17

Sheet music available at: https://www.iandeterling.com/duet-in-...

Duet in G Minor, Op. 17 "A Grimm Waltz"
Composed by Ian Deterling, published by Deterling Music.
Commissioned by Jonathan Warburton.

PROGRAM NOTES
Jonathan Warburton first approached me with the idea of commissioning a new chamber work for bass trombone in autumn of 2021. Leaving the instrumentation up to me, I decided to originally pair the bass trombone with cello because of how well their contrasting timbres compliment each other.

Shortly after first talking with Mr. Warburton, I traveled to Germany for about two months. While staying in Kassel, I spent an afternoon at Grimmwelt Kassel, a museum dedicated to the fairytales and dictionary work of the Brothers Grimm. I grew up on Grimm’s fairy tales, so I was fascinated and in awe of being able to look upon their handwritten letters, notes, belongings - even a silver box that was displaying Jacob Grimm’s teeth!

After returning from Germany, I began developing ideas for this piece, using my experience at Grimmwelt Kassel as a basis for inspiration. Half-step motions on beats 2-3 and 5-6 (BTbn measures 5 and 6) give the music an unsettling waltz-like lurch as it quickly meanders unexpectedly from one key center to another. Writing music is like creating an abstract story; the various melodies and motifs are individual chargers while the accompaniments are different settings where these characters develop and interact with one another.