Omega Ensemble

Program
Béla Bartók Contrasts for Clarinet, Violin and Piano

Francis Poulenc Sonata for Clarinet and Piano

Aram Khachaturian Trio for Clarinet, Violin and Piano

Dmitri Shostakovich Violin Sonata in G major

About The Music
The mid-twentieth century saw a steep rise in popularity for the clarinet due to its impressive range of colour, emotion and agility, and a quest by composers for new musical forms and sounds. Composers no longer looked to Classical or Romantic ideals, but instead sought the directness and clarity of the immediate world in which they lived, inspired by colourful melodies and rhythms of folk songs, or the bustling sounds of the cities.

Clarinetist and Artistic Director of Omega Ensemble, David Rowden, leads an exhilarating program of works for clarinet, violin and piano, covering a full gamut of colour and emotion.