Laudamus Te (from Gloria): 2 Clarinets & Keyboard Part(s)

Marlatt's arrangement brings Vivaldi's elegant vocal writing into the woodwind idiom without sacrificing the piece's Baroque grace and contrapuntal sophistication. Two clarinets trading and intertwining lyrical lines create an immediate, conversational quality that students hear and feel at once. This is the kind of arrangement that makes masterworks accessible to young players while preserving everything that makes Vivaldi worth playing.

This music radiates the ornate beauty and spiritual calm of the Baroque chapel. The two clarinet lines weave together in a gentle conversation, full of elegant turns of phrase and moments where the voices mirror each other in mirror canon. It feels neither heavy nor trivial, but rather like praise rendered in pure, singing tone.

Intermediate clarinetists working in duo settings or ensemble classes will find this manageable yet musically rewarding. Directors seeking accessible Baroque repertoire that maintains artistic integrity can program this for recitals, concerts, or chamber music showcases without compromise.

• Shape the opening melodic statement with a gentle swell and taper; this is prayer-like in character, not declamatory. Let the keyboard anchor the harmonic foundation so the clarinets can focus on phrasing together.
• Approach the imitative passages with clarity and rhythmic precision. When one clarinet answers the other's phrase, make the response feel like a natural conversation, not an echo.
• Balance tone carefully in the lower register to avoid thickness. The keyboard will fill harmonic space; your job is to sing with clarity and warmth.
• Breathe at phrase endings, not in the middle of melodic lines. Mark your parts together beforehand so both players breathe in sync.

Pair this with other Baroque sacred works for a chamber concert or liturgical context, or nest it in a mixed woodwind program to add variety at the Easy-Medium level. It also works as a concert encore or as part of a Baroque sampling alongside movements from other Gloria settings.

• Baroque phrasing and ornamentation
• Duo balance and independent line singing
• Reading and executing imitative/canonic writing
• Breath control across longer melodic phrases
• Ensemble blend in a two-part texture