Jan van der Roost

Contemplation

Contemplation is the first movement from the Clarinet Concerto by Jan Van der Roost, which was commissioned by Musica Reservata VOF, Belgium, and is dedicated to the famous clarinet soloist Eddy Vanoosthuyse.
A slightly mysterious intro leads to an orchestral climax with ascending melodies and the entrance of the soloist. This occurs at first with fragmentary musical ideas, and then with longer melodic lines. The orchestra delivers the dialogue withthe soloist, and creates a fitting musical frame with a delicate and colourful instrumentation. Towards the end of the music, the atmosphere from the beginning is restored, and the soloist finishes on the same note that he started the piece on.
The concerto is also available as a piano reduction.