About the Music

We thank Dr. Becraft for sharing this description of his arrangement of Pergolesi's Concerto in D Major for clarinet and string quartet:

On August 11, 1978, Yona Ettlinger performed a recital program at the International Clarinet Congress in Toronto that included several arrangements for clarinet and string quartet. Despite publishing other arrangements, including works by Mozart, Rameau, and Schumann, Ettlinger never made the Pergolesi Concerto in D major available. Fortunately for the clarinet community, Mike Getzin and Stephen Clark were in the audience that day! Getzin recorded the recital on reel-to-reel tape, and 38 years later Clark used a copy of this to create a digital version for YouTube.

After hearing Ettlinger’s beautiful sound and exquisite phrasing showcased in his artful arrangement, I became obsessed with playing the Pergolesi composition as well. Without an available publication or even knowing the original solo instrument, I began a years-long search for source material. IMSLP? Naxos Listening Library? YouTube? No help. Along the way, I finally stumbled onto a recording of flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal playing Pergolesi’s “Flute Concerto No. 2 in D major.” Once I had this information, I was able to track down a published version of the concerto for flute and piano to use as a starting point. Using this publication, along with Ettlinger’s live recording, I have attempted to recreate an arrangement as close as possible to what he and the string quartet played that day in 1978.

Score: 29 pages, spiral bound. Parts: 8 pages each, booklet. Parts for both B-flat and A clarinet included.

Listen to Dr. Becraft's premiere performance of his arrangement:

PDF Edition

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About the Arranger

Dr. Steve Becraft is a freelance performer and teacher based in Indianapolis, Indiana. From 2001 to 2022 he served as the tenured Professor of Clarinet and Saxophone at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.

As an orchestral clarinetist in Arkansas, Becraft performed Copland’s Appalachian Spring with the Martha Graham Dance Company in Conway, Arkansas, as a substitute with the Arkansas Symphony, and as a member of the Pine Bluff Symphony. Previous orchestral positions include the Utah Festival Opera Orchestra, Tallahassee Symphony, Fresno Philharmonic, Reno Philharmonic, and the Northern Nevada Concert Orchestra. Since relocating to Indianapolis, he has performed with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and on recordings for Alfred, Carl Fischer, and Hal Leonard Publishing.

Becraft holds degrees from Florida State University (D.M.), the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (M.M.), and the University of Nevada, Reno (B.M.). His clarinet teachers include Frank Kowalsky, Rosario Mazzeo, David Ehrke, and Deborah Pittman.