CLARINET & STRING TRIO MUSIC
Contemporary Music for Clarinet and String Trio
The combination of clarinet and string trio—often referred to as a clarinet quartet—offers a rich blend of colors, balancing the clarinet’s agility and lyricism with the warmth and resonance of the strings.
This page presents Lior Navok’s Little Suite for clarinet and strings, alongside a curated list of contemporary works written for this versatile chamber‑music formation.
LITTLE SUITE
for clarinet and string trio
Duration:
12 minutes
Instrumentation:
clarinet, violin, viola and cello
Year Composed:
2006
Written For:
The Jerusalem Quintsextet
Commissioned by:
Israel Ministry of Science Culture & Sport and the Yehoshua Rabinovitch Foundation for the Arts.
Premiere Performance:
Jerusalem, Israel
The Jerusalem Quintsextet
Movements:
1. Overture
2. Energico
3. Romanza
4. Finale
Audio
Program Notes
Little Suite consists of four movements for clarinet and strings, connected primarily through recitatives. Each movement is based on a few motifs that undergo various transformations throughout the piece.
Abstract
Little Suite is a compact four‑movement work for clarinet and string trio built around a small set of motifs that continually reshape themselves. Recitative‑like passages thread the movements together, giving the piece a sense of narrative flow. The clarinet moves between lyrical lines and agile gestures, while the strings provide both resonance and counterpoint. The result is a concise, characterful suite that highlights the ensemble’s intimate blend and expressive range.
Score Sample
Score of Little Suite for clarinet and string trio
Video
TETRIS - for clarinet and string trio, performed by
Ensemble Finale.
About Clarinet and String‑Trio Chamber Music
The clarinet quartet—clarinet with violin, viola, and cello—offers a unique chamber‑music sound world, combining the clarinet’s expressive range with the warmth and depth of a string trio.
Contemporary composers often use this ensemble to explore coloristic writing, close‑knit counterpoint, and flexible dialogue between winds and strings, making it a compelling formation for both performers and audiences.
Contemporary Repertoire for Clarinet and String Trio
Krzysztof Penderecki – Quartet for Clarinet and String Trio (1993)
Instrumentation: Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Cello.
A substantial, four-movement work that marks his later, more neo-romantic style. It's known for its dramatic intensity and lyricism, though less focused on the extreme extended techniques of his earlier work.
Jörg Widmann – Clarinet Quintet (2017)
Instrumentation: Clarinet, 2 Violins, Viola, Cello (Quintet - 5 players).Widmann's significant contribution to the repertoire is a full quintet, not a quartet. It is a large-scale, single-movement Adagio known for its intricate textures and virtuosic demands.
Jean Françaix – Clarinet Quintet (1977)
Instrumentation: Clarinet, 2 Violins, Viola, Cello (Quintet - 5 players)
Françaix did not write a standard quartet for this instrumentation. His quintet is a witty, neoclassical work, characterized by sparkling interplay and a lightness of touch.
Peter Schickele – Quartet for Clarinet, Violin, Cello, and Piano (1982)
Instrumentation: Clarinet, Violin, Cello, Piano (not a string trio)
A delightful and accessible four-movement work that features the piano as a core instrument, rather than a string trio, making it a very different ensemble sound.
Lior Navok – Little Suite (2006)
Instrumentation: Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Cello.
A confirmed piece for the standard quartet/trio combination. It is a four-movement contemporary work noted for its motivic transformation and expressive recitatives.