About the Music

We thank Dr. David Cook for providing this program note about his transcription of J.S. Bach's Organ Trio BWV 584 for either clarinet trio or clarinet quartet:

Johann Sebastian Bach’s Organ Trio in G Minor, BWV 584 can be traced back to the aria “Ich will an den Himmel denken” from the cantata Wo gehest du hin?, BWV 166. The original aria calls for solo tenor, oboe, violin and continuo. Bach’s authorship of the arrangement known as BWV 584 is disputed; whoever arranged BWV 584 retained only the instrumental parts from the aria (with minimal alterations) and omitted the solo tenor line.

This transcription can be played by either a trio of two clarinets and bass clarinet, or by a quartet of three clarinets and bass clarinet. The trio version is a faithful transcription of BWV 584, while the quartet version restores the solo tenor line in the third clarinet part. If utilizing the third clarinet part to become a quartet, the musicians playing the first and second clarinet parts should utilize the ossia measures as indicated to reflect the minute differences between the aria and the organ trio.

Score: 7 pages; parts: 1-2 pages each. Extended-range instrument optional but not required for bass clarinet part.

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About the Arranger

Critically praised for “brilliant and stunning” performances, “terrific virtuosic playing,” and “a fine sense of drama,” David Cook is Associate Professor of Clarinet and Chair of Instrumental Performance Studies at Millikin University, Principal Clarinet of the Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra, and clarinetist for the Appian Duo (with Emily Grabinski, piano) and the Greyline Duo (with Alexandra Rodriguez, flute). Previously a member of the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, the Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra, the Lieurance Woodwind Quintet, and the wind quintet Fiati Five, David has also performed with the Chicago Sinfonietta, Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia da Camera, Northbrook Symphony Orchestra, Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra, Heartland Festival Orchestra, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Norman Philharmonic, and the Texas Music Festival Orchestra. As a chamber musician, David has performed at Chamber Music Campania, with the Brightmusic Chamber Ensemble, and with the From the Edge Chamber Music Series.

David has been recognized in numerous competitions including The American Prize for Instrumental Performance, the American Virtuoso International Music Competition, the Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music, the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Young Artist Competition, the Oklahoma Community Orchestra Young Artist Competition, and the White Lake Chamber Music Festival Solo Competition. Past appearances include the International Clarinet Association’s ClarinetFest®, the College Music Society National Conference, the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors Conference, the Midwest Clinic, the American Single Reed Summit, the Amicitia Clarinet Extravaganza, the Clarinet Colloquium at Texas A&M University-Commerce, the KNOB New Music Festival, and recitals across the United States and abroad. In 2022, David’s book Clarinet Conditioning: Warm-Ups and Perspectives, featuring contributions from clarinetists including members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, was published by Conway Publications. His research appears in Clarinet, NACWPI Journal, and Instrumentalist.

David holds Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Music Education degrees from Central Michigan University, Master of Music degrees in clarinet performance and chamber music from the University of Michigan, and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in clarinet performance and the Master of Music degree in music theory from the University of Oklahoma. His principal teachers include Suzanne Tirk, Chad Burrow, Theodore Oien, and Kennen White. David is a Buffet Crampon USA Performing Artist and a member of the Silverstein Works PRO Team, performing exclusively on Buffet Crampon clarinets and Silverstein Works ligatures.