The Queen’s Revenge

for Two Clarinets (Doubling Piano) and Piano (Doubling Soprano)

Written: In-Progress
Duration: ca. 4'
Instrumentation: two clarinets (doubling piano) and piano (doubling coloratura soprano)
Commissioned by Insolito Trio
World Premiere: TBA
Publisher: Bill Holab Music

Program Note (In-Progress)

In The Queen’s Revenge, two clarinet ‘princesses’ attempt to upstage their pianist—who also happens to be a soprano and a self-proclaimed Queen. What begins as a playful duel of egos soon escalates into comic sabotage. Just when it seems the clarinetists have gained the upper hand, the defiant Queen seizes control and takes center stage with a dazzling excerpt from a famous Mozart aria. Not to be outshone, the clarinets mock the Queen with mischievous interruptions. In a final act of rebellion, the clarinetists hijack the piano bench, turning their rivalry into a whirlwind of sound and spectacle. The contest ends not in triumph or defeat, but in reconciliation: the three performers join forces, transforming their battle of wills into a virtuosic trio full of energy and royal unity.