Concerto núm. 2 per Clarinetto e Orchestra

There is a certain degree of continuity between my first Concert per a clarinet i orquestra (Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra) –which I wrote in 1989– and my second –completed in February 1990–, and they in fact have many similarities, such as the relationship that is established between the orchestra and the solo clarinet, the use of expressive clarinet passages of great technical complexity, and also thematic references to other composers –Mozart, Mahler and Stravinsky, for example–, at times more obvious than at others. Years later, I composed the Concertino per a clarinet i cordes (Concertino for clarinet and strings), with which piece I completed a triptych of works dedicated to the clarinet and orchestra.
Unlike Concert núm. 1 (Concerto No. 1), which is written in a single movement, Concert núm. 2 (Concerto No. 2) is split into two movements which alternate between very different passages. However, each of the movements presents its own peculiarity: in the first, the lyrical fragments stand out, while in the second it is the rhythmical fragments that take centre stage. In each, there is a cadenza for the solo instrument. This concerto, as with other of my compositions featuring the solo clarinet, is dedicated to the clarinettist Josep Fuster, collaboration with whom has led to my composing numerous works for both chamber ensembles —C’était magnifique and Catul Canta— and orchestras.

Jesús Rodríguez Picó