Andrew Seaver
Patricia Grimm, piano
Edmund Bascon and Tommy Galvin, bass clarinets
March 2, 2026
7:30 pm
Recital Hall
Cats Suite (1976)
Allegro Pussicato
Tabbioso
Purrdendosi
Cat Mandu
Cotton Pickin’ Kitten
Patricia Grimm, piano
John Noble (1936–2008)
Tonada y Cueca (1965)
Tonada
Cueca
Patricia Grimm, piano
Carlos Guastavino (1912–2000)
We Reflect. We Grieve. We Rise. (2025)
We Rise
Edmund Bascon, bass clarinet
Patricia Grimm, piano
Jonathan Russell (b. 1979)
Sonata for Bass Clarinet and Piano (2011)
Six Pieces for Three Bassoons, op. 4 (1883) Polka
Julius Weissenborn (1837–1888) arr. Thomas Galvin
Edmund Bascon and Tommy Galvin, bass clarinets
Jonathan Russell (b. 1979)
Patricia Grimm, piano 10′
PROGRAM NOTES
Noble: Cats Suite
Some years ago I wrote a dance for the cat in a Children's Theatre production of The Young Dick Whittington. This was so successful that I decided to continue with the idea, and the result is this set of pieces; each one dedicated to a cat of my acquaintance.
Allegro Pussicato (to rhyme with pizzicato) is dedicated to my cat, Oscar, who is a grey tabby. The music describes his miaow, his arrogant walk, and the way he pounces on anything that moves. For the young performer it is an exercise in glissando and staccato playing.
Tabbioso is for a brown tabby called Beethoven who has a jaunty air and a strutting walk. This is an exercise in arpeggio playing.
Purrdendosi describes exactly the nature of Beethoven's friend, Mozart. He is black and fluffy and extremely good natured. He purrs all the time—listen for his purr in the piano part. This is an exercise in soft legato playing.
Cat Mandu is for Pippin, a brown Burmese cat with an irascible nature and a tendency to bite. The harmonic minor scale is suitably oriental.
Cotton Pickin' Kitten is for Sammy, a black and white cat with an incredible turn of speed. He does a "pussy hoe-down" in the middle section. Apart from the syncopation this is an exercise in playing as fast as possible; in fact—Pusstissimo!
—John Noble
Guastavino: Tonada y Cueca
Tonada is a slow traditional and sentimental folk song stemming from the countryside of rural Chile, characterized by poetic melancholy tune over an ostinato rhythm in the piano accompaniment.
Cueca is a popular folk dance and the national dance of Chile. It is a vibrant folk dance symbolizing a rooster courting a hen, performed by a couple using handkerchiefs (pañuelos) in circular, flirtatious movements that is often accompanied by guitar and handclapping spectators, both of which may be heard in the piano part.
—Andrew Seaver
Russell: We Reflect. We Grieve. We Rise.
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
―J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
This work was generously commissioned by a consortium of 38 cocommissioners. The members of the consortium include the following individuals and ensembles:
Kelsey Paquin and Asher Carlson, Consortium Leads; Margali Grenier, Plattsburgh Clarinet Choir; Matthias Hofer; Katie Rice; Chris Nichols; Stephen White; Stephen White; Julie Stuckenschneider; Josh Woods; Jeff Anderle; Celine Ferro; Osiris Molina; Meghan Merciers, DMA; Christopher Kirkpatrick; James Aldous; Elisabeth Stimpert; Tucker Hall-Klingensmith; Dark Harmony Duo: Johnny Engelke and Sarah Lucas-Page; Lucas Gianini; Julianne Doyle; Christine Hoerning; Joel Russell and Mari Gottdiener; Franklin Acosta; Dr. Karen Luttik; Matthew Weger; Deadwood: Taylor Barlow & Luis Cruz; Brian Almanza; Marie-Julie Chagnon; Thomas Piercy; Dillan Francis; Elizabeth Gunlogson; Carl Balvanz; Erin Cameron; Kristin Fray; Bill Kalinkos; Kevin Walko and Mikey Arbulu; Wes Warnhoff; Andrew Seaver.
—Jonathan Russell
Russell: Sonata for Bass Clarinet and Piano
The Sonata for Bass Clarinet and Piano was composed for my good friend, pianist Kate Campbell. She asked me to write something for a piano recital she was giving, but rather than writing a solo piano piece, I thought it would be fun to write something we could play together. The resulting piece contrasts jazzy riffs and grooves with quiet, lyrical sections, and is a true duet, with the piano in every way the bass clarinet’s equal.
—Jonathan Russell
Weissenborn: Six Pieces for Three Bassoons, op. 4
When trying to find music that could fit a bass clarinet trio, there was not much to find. As it turns out, there are not many pieces written for three bass clarinets. After a long time searching, I went looking for other instrument trios, and I found Weissenborn’s Six Pieces for Three Bassoons, op. 4 for free on IMSLP. Tommy Galvin, one of the members of the All You Can Eat Trio, adapted all six pieces for three bass clarinets to play in our chamber ensemble class. We decided the Polka was our favorite movement of the six. The polka is a dance style in duple meter from Central Europe. This Polka has moments of comedy, dance, and beer stein-chugging fun that makes it the perfect closer to my recital.
—Andrew Seaver
STUDENT BIOGRAPHY
This recital is presented as a degree requirement for a Bachelor of Music in music education.
Andrew Seaver is a senior music education major with a passion for conducting and the visual and performing arts. He studies clarinet and bass clarinet with Dr. Patricia Shands at University of the Pacific. Seaver is a clarinetist, bass clarinetist, saxophonist, and conductor. He has performed with the Pacific Wind Bands, University Symphony Orchestra, Pacific Pep Band, Audacity reeds, the All You Can Eat Trio, Pacific Brass Society, and the Sacramento Mandarins.
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