Three Susato Dances from The Danserye: 8 Clarinets Score & Parts

Marlatt's arrangement captures everything that makes Susato's writing sing while giving clarinet choirs a genuine masterwork with real compositional substance. The division into two four-voice choirs creates natural opportunities for dramatic echo effects and dynamic play that feel organic rather than forced, and the level stays accessible without becoming simplistic. This is the kind of piece that sounds like the clarinets are genuinely conversing with each other.

The music dances with formal elegance, moving between moments of bright dialogue and intimate echo passages. There's a conversational quality to the imitative writing, as if the two clarinet choirs are trading phrases of courtly wit and musical wit across the room.

This arrangement works for intermediate clarinet choirs with at least basic four-part balance and independence. It's ideal for groups comfortable with sectional blend but eager to move beyond unison or simple homophonic writing into genuine ensemble texture.

• Shape the imitative phrases as distinct musical statements. When a melody passes from one choir to the other, clarify the handoff with a small articulation change or breath mark so the ear follows the dialogue.
• Balance the dynamic contrasts carefully. The "echo" writing only works if the softer responses are genuinely soft relative to the original statement, not just slightly quieter.
• In the faster sections, maintain rhythmic independence within each choir while locking the two choirs together at structural points. This prevents the writing from collapsing into rhythmic fuzz.
• Let the Renaissance character breathe. Avoid the temptation to rush; these dances move with a sense of poise and elegance that gets lost when tempo becomes frantic.

Program this as a centerpiece on a chamber or festival concert, where its Renaissance pedigree and arrangement sophistication balance well with modern works or shorter virtuosic pieces. It also serves as a strong closer for a clarinet choir showcase, offering both musicality and enough technical interest to feel substantial without being exhausting for the ensemble or audience.

• Four-part voice independence and balance within each choir
• Imitative counterpoint and following thematic material across ensemble voices
• Dynamic contrast and control, particularly soft ensemble playing
• Sectional coordination and ensemble timing across two semi-independent groups
• Renaissance phrasing and articulation appropriate to the period