Suzanne Crookshank

Chamber Music of Eric Mandat: 3 for 2, So What Elsa's New?, and One Liners Suzanne Crookshank

Eric Mandat has established himself as one of the most highly regarded composers of new music for clarinet. So far, his most well-known works are for unaccompanied clarinet, although in recent years he has begun composing more for small ensembles that include one or more clarinets. In this book I discuss three of Mandat?s chamber music compositions ? 3 for 2 (for clarinet and percussion), So What Elsa?s New? (for two clarinets), and One Liners (for three clarinets). These works, while employing extended techniques such as quarter tones and multiphonics, also use recognizable forms and clear rhythmic and melodic motives to make them accessible to the listener and the performer. A formal analysis of each work illuminates these three works, of which many clarinetists are unfamiliar, so that both performers and composers may gain further insight into new music for clarinet, and new chamber music in particular.