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Pierre Jalbert's "Howl" Recorded by Pro Arte Quartet

Pierre Jalbert has a distinctively American compositional voice that has been heard in concert halls around the country. The Pro Arte Quartet has recently released the first recording of Jalbert's Howl, for clarinet and string quartet, which takes its inspiration from the American master poet Allen Ginsberg. In addition to the emotional and intense nature of the poems' content, Jalbert also translates the poem's form into music, offering a stunning and truly American piece. Jalbert writes that beyond the content of the poem, his chamber work is primarily inspired by Ginsberg's long lyrical line:

This long line is recreated by the clarinet with the strings providing an active underpinning. His poem has been referred to as a kind of 'litany of praise' and the second movement becomes the litany, with the clarinet acting as 'Vox Dei', the voice of God. The third movement returns to the musical subject matter of the first, this time with the bass clarinet taking on the virtuosic role. 


Albany Records has graciously released the first movement of the quartet for free on YouTube—check it out below. 

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