This fourth work in a series of divertimenti (numbering twelve) was commissioned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and premiered by the CBC Vancouver Chamber Orchestra in 1968. The three-movement work is demanding of its soloist, with extreme ranges, extended technique, and contrasting moods.
Don’t be fooled by the moderate tempo indication: the first movement maintains a rhythmic energy through a pointillistic texture and a percussive clarinet solo that jumps between sustained high notes and staccato low notes. The slow second movement provides contrast, not only from the first movement, but within twelve separate events, which consist of twelve short string statements answered by the clarinet. These events are shifting dialogues between the string orchestra and clarinet, a type of musical conversation typical of Weinzweig’s music. This movement demonstrates the wide-ranging timbral capabilities of the clarinet, with glissandi, flutter-tonguing, growls, quarter-tone oscillations, and variable vibrato. The clarinet blends all twelve articulations into a cadenza characterized by random, often explosive statements and sudden silences. The solo clarinet proceeds to the final movement without a pause. This third movement focuses on a syncopated staccato motive that creates a swing feel, another frequent feature of Weinzweig’s music.
Written by Alexa Woloshyn