somebody threw a dead dog after him down the ravine (2009)

For clarinet and piano

Written for: Michael Nelson Perrett

Programme Note:

somebody threw a dead dog after him down the ravine (for clarinet and piano) is comprised of eleven tenuously related sections (which I call ‘chapters’ in the score) performed without a break.

The title is taken from Malcolm Lowry’s novel Under the Volcano from which the character of the consul was very much in mind. Lowry’s character endures a loosing battle with alcoholism; an illness which infects and scars the world around him. Whilst my chamber piece does not in any way attempt a programmatic description of Lowry’s written work, the material oscillates between moments of clarity and deliberate intangibility. In essence, the logic of this piece is disturbed by external factors - like listening to the sad ramblings of a lone drunkard in a late night cantina. 

Duration:

Approximately 20 minutes

Score Excerpt: