Impromptu (1985) by Richard Festinger
for clarinet and piano
World premiere

The Impromptu for clarinet and piano was completed in June of this year. It is in part an attempt to reconcile an inherently free and lyrical style with rigorous serial procedures. I was also interested in developing a harmonic language that alluded to certain diatonic structures without sacrificing any of the richness of free chromaticism. The formal structure of the piece is a hybrid of developmental and strophic procedures. This formal complexity imparts a kind of improvisational quality to the music, hence the title Impromptu.