Ballade

The rhapsodic, almost ten-minute piece draws its charm from changing metres and various dramatic climaxes within an overall darkly overcast mood. The "ballad" of the title develops, after a melancholy introduction, from the yearning melodic circling of the clarinet over a flowing 5/8 rhythm of the accompaniment. The composition was written for the Ensemble Liaison and was recorded on their CD Epiphany.