Clare Shore's Canonic Polemic
for Bb clarinet, 'cello and piano
Date of completion: April, 1985; Approximate Duration: 5'
Program Notes
Reviews BERKSHIRE RECORD, Simon Wainrib: "...'Canonic Polemic' , a title that WASHINGTON POST, Arthur Smith: "...Clare Shore's 'Canonic Polemic', WASHINGTON POST, Joseph McLellan: "...economy of performing
Listen to Canonic Polemic for Bb clarinet, 'cello and piano Publisher E.C. Schirmer Music Company, Inc. Biography Reviews Works Recordings Listening Room Publisher Info Links Main Page design by Watchfyr Productions Copyright 2009 by Clare Shore - All Rights Reserved
Washington, DC, in October of that year. Following the Boston premiere by Extension Works, Anthony Tommasini of the Boston
Globe described the work as "gritty" and "turbulent", but "romantic to its core". The trio (in one movement) consists of a two-part
canon in discourse with a third voice, first presented by the piano in its initial entry. There is much division of all three lines by
timbre and octave placement, particularly at the climax, after which the polemic gives way to a final glimpse of the unmasked
canonic theme as it vanishes.
gritty canonic turbulence, is Romantic to its core..." (10/28/88)
describes well the vioces' lively interplay guided by an underlying
academic discipline...the satisfaction generated by the tautness
and transparency of the ...appealing sound web" (3/29/91)
a smooth, elegiac work for clarinet, 'cello and piano..." (6/4/91)
forces and succinctness of statement in...Clare Shore's
'Canonic Polemic' for clarinet, 'cello and piano" (10/14/91)
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