magnificat 2: still

Bb clarinet and piano (2003)

Duration: 8:00

Program Note

magnificat 2: still is the second in a series of reflections on the unison, in music and in life. Composed for the Tanosaki-Richards Duo, this piece establishes a continuum of relationships between the clarinet and the piano, from the most distant to the closest, as the players ultimately take over one another’s instruments. As such the piece becomes a metaphor for the long-term relationship, one in which we desire the simple perfection, the stillness, of union while struggling with the repetitions and tensions of daily life.