Skip to product information
1 of 4

Elizabeth Vercoe

Irreveries for Clarinet Quartet

Irreveries for Clarinet Quartet

Clarinet Quartet 2 Bb Clarinets, 2 Bass Clarinets

Irreveries is wickedly satiric and full of musical jokes and parodies on the subject of jealousy, ageism, and gossip. The composer comments: "Although Sappho's poetry is over 2500 years old, the deft translations by Mary Barnard seem remarkably up-to-date. Sappho's wit calls for whatever musical sleight of hand a composer might muster: thus the use of popular idioms and hidden tunes ('Turkey in the Straw,' 'Auld Lang Syne'), as well as the more respectable tricks of the trade such as counterpoint and recitative. Sappho's three women have clearly distinctive voices, but all three bespeak a fierce pride."

This piece has been widely performed by a variety of soloists and choral groups including the New York Virtuoso Singers and the Thamyris Contemporary Ensemble at venues including the Corcoran Art Gallery, Harvard University, Abraham Goodman House, the Cleveland Art Museum, the National Gallery of Art, the University of Iowa, a NATS Regional Convention, Mills College, Mt. Holyoke College, the Cite International in Paris, and King's College in London. The songs were published by Arsis Pess and recorded on Capstone and Navona CDs by mezzo Sharon Mabry & pianist Rosemary Platt. In 2016 the piece was performed in Seiji Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood by soprano Fleur Barron and pianist Eri Nakamura and at Tanglewood again in 2019.

The titles of the three movements are: Andromeda Rag, Older Woman Blues, and Boogie for Leda. Note: There are also unpublished versions available from the composer for two sopranos & piano, and mandolin & piano. A dissertation by Maria Theresa Hu on Sappho songs includes a chapter on Irreveries.


Movements: Andromeda Rag, Older Woman Blues, Boogie for Leda

Authored (or revised): 2016

Duration (minutes): 7.0

Book format: score + 4 parts


SKU

ACA-VERC-011
Regular price $24.50
Sale price $24.50 Regular price
Sale Sold out
Format
View full details

Shipping

We ship world-wide using US International Postal Mail - Priority, First Class International Mail, or UPS Global. In the US, we usually use US Priority Mail or Media Mail or UPS Ground services.

Return Policy

Orders received damaged will be replaced immediately at no additional charge. Refunds requested will be issued back to the original payment
method. 

PDF files are not refundable and are considered permanent loan rentals licensed to the customer who purchased.

Purchasing any digital PDFs from American Composers Alliance grants you an unlimited license for your personal use only. ACA grants permission for you to duplicate the score and files as needed for performance.

Any other use of the PDF files may require additional permission from ACA. Purchase and download of PDFs does not automatically include performing and recording rights.

PDF files are not refundable and are considered permanent loan rentals licensed to the customer who purchased.

Contact us / inquire about this work