LIVESTREAM for recital at University of Denver Lamont School of Music
Thursday, October 24, 2024
7:30 pm Mountain time
Welcome to the Fall 2024 Clarinet Recital and Recording Repertoire Page! These clarinet works by Jenni Brandon will be performed and recorded throughout the Fall of 2024 by Jeremy Reynolds, Professor of Clarinet at the University of Denver Lamont School of Music. Below on you’ll find more information about these works including descriptions of the pieces and pictures of the fish featured in several of the works.
Fin de la Tierra: Land’s End Concerto for Clarinet with Chamber Orchestra will be recorded with the Janaček Philharmonic in the Czech Republic with PARMA Recordings, and the other repertoire with Evergroove Studios in December PARMA Recordings. This album will be released on Navona Records in 2025 and feature Jeremy Reynolds, clarinet with Margaret McDonald, piano, and Corey Mackey, clarinet.
Support Jenni and Jeremy’s recording project of these works in the Czech Republic and Denver, Colorado – Learn more:
Fundraiser by Jeremy Reynolds : Support Jeremy and Jenni’s World Premiere Clarinet Recording
Sea Songs: California Coast
This three-movement work for Clarinet and Piano explores the fascinating ecosystem of fish and plants along the Southern California Coast. From rocks and crevices where animals hide and kelp forests drift toward the surface, to eelgrass and the sandy ocean floor, this magical world is full of life and colorful creatures.
I. California Spiny Lobster (Panulirus interruptus)
II. Leopard Shark (Triakis semifasciata)
III. California Moray Eel (Gymnothorax mordax)
Daydreams for Solo Clarinet in B-Flat
Daydreams for Solo Clarinet in B-flat tells the stories of walking, skating, singing, and dreaming of possibility. The first three movements tell stories of movement and music. “Walking” follows the path of a labyrinth, turning at the center and walking back in a meditative way. In “The Figure Skater” the skater gets bolder and bolder in their routine, falling and learning to get up again, and finding triumph in the journey. “The Singer” begins with a bel canto style melody, eventually becoming jazzier and sassier as they discover their unique voice. In the fourth movement “Sleeping” these various themes return as the dreamer slips off to sleep, dreaming of their day of walking, skating, singing, and what they can become.
Fin de la Tierra: Land’s End – Concerto for Clarinet and Chamber Orchestra (version for Piano available as well)
In this 19-minute concerto for Clarinet in B-flat with Chamber Orchestra, the diverse ecosystem of the Sea of Cortez and surrounding area is explored. The clarinet soloist serves as a guide, taking us on a journey through this UNESCO World Heritage site to observe the beauty and diversity of the landscape, the water, the animals that live in and around it, and their symbiotic relationship that requires a delicate balance of conservation and exploration.
This is a single-movement work with sections:
I. Where the Pacific Ocean Meets the Sea of Cortez
2. Rock Sentries
3. The World’s Aquarium
Fish featured in this Concerto:
Other works featured on the upcoming recording
The Mountain for Two Clarinets in B-Flat
The Mountain for two clarinets in B-flat is inspired by the poem “My Help is in the Mountain” by Nancy Wood. This work describes going to the mountain to find healing, to draw inspiration from the rocks and streams, and to become one with all of the land, finding strength from nature and from within.
Sea Songs: Mobula Ray for Solo Clarinet in B-Flat
In this solo for B-flat Clarinet, the unique species of fish found in the Sea of Cortez is the Mobula Munkiana, or Munk’s Pygmy Devil Ray. This work explores them as they swim and leap from the water, showcasing the clarinet’s ability to be as acrobatic as the Mobula Rays.
This work is an expanded solo from the Clarinet Cadenza in Fin de la Tierra: Land’s End – Concerto for Clarinet with Chamber Orchestra (or with piano).
