Rick Sowash - The View from Carew ‪@ricksowash5255‬

This piece originally for clarinet and orchestra, was performed on 13 April 2022 in Istanbul/Turkey. (⬇️ Composer's Program Note ⬇️) Clarinet: Orkun Uyar Double Bass: Asal Altay Piano: Begüm Sarısözen Alpaydın Live Concert Recording / Nar Records 13.04.2022 Yeldeğirmeni Art Center Concert Hall Istanbul/TURKEY Composer's Program Note : The View from Carew: Romance for clarinet and orchestra. (2000) (Also available as a clarinet-piano reduction and as an arrangement for clarinet, cello and piano.) This work was written for my friend, clarinetist Angelo Santoro, one of the most passionately expressive musicians I know. He had been asked to select a work for solo clarinet and orchestra to perform with the Cincinnati Community Orchestra. Instead of choosing an existing piece, Angelo asked me to write a new work for the occasion. He specified that he wanted a piece that would be very 'romantic,' even 'operatic.' The title refers to the view from the top of Carew Tower, the tallest building in Cincinnati. The clarinet represents a lonely figure mourning the recent end of a deeply-felt love affair, looking out over the city, remembering happier times passed in the many places that can be seen from that vantage point. I tried to make the music express the sublimity that we feel when we view the world from a high place. But there is also a feeling of remoteness and wistfulness. The piece begins with an introduction, which also recurs at the end, framing the work. There are two big, romantic themes -- an ascending "love theme" (the clarinet enters with this theme) and a descending "loss theme." These are developed and recapitulated, using the familiar sonata-allegro form that has served classical music long and well. Rick Sowash ‪@ricksowash5255‬