Overview

This book explores collaboration between composers and performers in the context of the clarinet concerto genre. Focus is placed on British works written between 1990-2004, in particular the outcomes of the author's extended interactions with composers Nigel Clarke, Martin Ellerby and Philip Sparke. Following an overview of historical liaisons between composers and performers, especially clarinettists, the book progresses with an evaluation of the collaborative processes employed by contemporary composers and clarinettists. The author then examines, from a personal perspective, the relative strengths and weaknesses of extended interactions with Clarke and Ellerby, measuring the extent to which prior experience in an ongoing partnership may inform and enhance process and outcome. Using a more recent interaction with Sparke as an exemplar, the book concludes with a review of how the author's experience compares with that of other clarinettists and composers consulted, and whether the skills acquired can be adapted to the specific conditions of future collaborations between composer and performer.