Canadian Tuxedo for double incomplete clarinets, for upper Demi-clarinets in B-flat and A

Canadian Tuxedo for double incomplete clarinets is a collection of five pieces for partially assembled B-flat and A clarinets, played in pairs. Each piece utilizes a different pairing of clarinet parts. This is the second piece I composed in this collection. This piece is for the upper half of the B-flat clarinet paired with the upper half of the A clarinet. I refer to the upper half of the clarinet as the "upper Demi-clarinet". Since the upper Demi-clarinet for the A clarinet is slightly longer than for the B-flat clarinet, the pitch is slightly deeper. This allows for interesting interval possibilities when the two upper Demi-clarinets are combined, which I explored throughout this piece. The use of unconventional cross fingerings allows for even more tuning variations. In addition, playing on only the upper-half of the clarinet rather than the complete clarinet naturally alters the pitches of some fingerings (making the lowest notes sharper while leaving the higher notes practically unaltered). Composed and performed by Grace Talaski Program Note: The Canadian Tuxedo, aka Texas Tuxedo, a combination of blue jeans and a denim jacket, is considered by some to be a fashion statement and by others to be a fashion faux pas. I suspect this collection of pieces for incomplete clarinets, played in pairs, may be equally polarizing. It contains many musical faux pas including parallel fifths, acoustical beating, and an outright rejection of traditional clarinet tone ideals. These pieces are a continuation of my life-long obsession with playing the clarinet in ways it was never intended to be played as well as a reflection of my cheapness in trying to get as many sound worlds as possible with the clarinets I already have. This video is from my 2025 DMA recital at the UC San Diego Department of Music, performed in the Conrad Prebys Concert Hall.