I have always been interested in writing music that focusses on a specific instrumental family. I am endlessly intrigued by the possibilities that emerge when combining instruments that derive their inherent timbral qualities from the same ‘sonic’ origin, yet fulfil fundamentally different roles within the hierarchy and context of their broader musical group.

So, when asked to write a clarinet quartet early in my compositional career, I jumped at the opportunity. Vier klarinetten mach viel krach! is a short, virtuosic work that explores the combination of two Bb clarinets, the Eb clarinet and the Bb bass clarinet. On a general level, fast semiquaver passages in rhythmic unison drive the piece, matched by sudden shifts in dynamics. As suggested by the work’s title, (the English translation is Four clarinets make much noise), these short bursts of energy may seem irreverent – almost frivolous – in nature. However, occasional lapses into reflective repose offset these frenetic moments, allowing the melancholic timbral aspects of the clarinets to emerge.

Composed in 1992, the piece was subsequently revised and edited in December 2015 – January 2016.