Little Duos

Each of these three pieces takes as its starting point a particular aspect of clarinet technique – staccato articulation of repeated notes, sustained legato phrasing and rapid arpeggios respectively – and from it develops an etude that is also a fully formed character piece. The style is exhilarating, and the result a substantial contribution to this neglected instrumental genre. The Little Duos could be programmed most effectively with the Poulenc Sonata for two clarinets.