Bitter Suite

Composer(s): Martin Bresnick

The title of this work for clarinet and piano by Martin Bresnick is a play on the words "suite" and "bittersweet." Each of the four movements is based on a Yiddish folk song, which in English translate to On the Road, My Resting Place, Black Cat, and Dona, Dona. Each of the four pieces is primarily based on a Jewish folk song, but re-envisions them in a modern context, akin to Bartok and Kodaly. The composer noted, “I found it a very challenging, yet touching way to remain in contact with some part of my own past that I don’t usually reveal.” The title references the difficult (bitter) and pleasant (sweet) aspects of experiencing the tumultuous history of a people through their folk music.

Publisher: Carl Fischer Music
Instrumentation: Clarinet in Eb, Piano
Pages: 16
Binding: 9x12
Format: Score and Parts
UPC: 680160926220
ISBN: 9781491167144
Item No: W2700

Publication Date: 10/1/2024

Table of Contents: Oyfn Veg (On the Road), Mayn Rue Plats (My Resting Place), Chorny Kot/Shvartse Kats (Black Cat), Dona, Dona