Mackey: Divine Mischief (Concerto for Clarinet)

"Divine Mischief" by John Mackey
Julian Bliss, clarinet
Baylor Wind Ensemble, conducted by Eric Wilson
Live at The Midwest Clinic, December 20, 2022
For more info, including the solo part, please visit: www.johnmackey.com/music/divi...
0:00 - Intro
0:13 - i. A stranger and a game
7:03 - ii. Disappointment, regret, regression : A waltz
18:06 - iii. Spellbound
DIVINE MISCHIEF
i. A stranger and a game
The town square is as bustling as you would expect on market day, but neither shoppers nor sellers are to be found in the stalls. All eyes are fixed on a stranger wearing peculiar clothes and carrying a spectacular instrument who has appeared as if from nowhere. The stranger surveys the waiting audience, but does not play. The throng chants a fanfare, urging the stranger to perform.
The stranger begins, disastrously. The crowd cannot believe that the bearer of such an extraordinary instrument is unable to play, and vents its frustration at the horrific noises-until they transform into a delicate, lyrical melody. The audience sighs its approval. But as soon as the listeners begin to relax into the music, the stranger changes it. Slow becomes fast, discord disrupts delicacy, chaos creeps in-but only until the audience accepts the raucous new reality, at which point the player swerves again. And again. And again. The rules of the stranger’s game become clear: Follow me, as I leave you behind.
ii. Disappointment, regret, regression: a waltz
Realizing that the only way to win this game is not to play, the crowd begins to disperse, grumbling with disappointment. The stranger replies with a slow, sad waltz of apology, pleading for the people to return. Hesitant but eventually persuaded, the townspeople join in the dance.
Of course, this enchantment can’t last. Soon the stranger transforms the penance into parade and back again, making a joke of the crowd’s displeasure.
iii. Spellbound
The townspeople revolt. The stranger again tries to tempt them with apologies, to charm them with amusements-but the angry mob has had enough, even before the stranger undermines these overtures by mocking the very idea of sincerity. Yet the stranger plays on, sure the audience will succumb eventually. When the crowd registers the depth of the stranger’s determination to toy with them, the extremity of the stranger’s appetite for amusement, they recognize the stranger at last: this is the Trickster. A plan forms.
They play a snippet of a slow chorale, knowing the Trickster will echo and taunt them. And when the Trickster does just that, something happens; magic crackles in the air. The people play another snippet; the Trickster mocks them again-and that taunting echo casts a powerful spell, one that passes in shadow over the whole assemblage.
The shadow is the spell seeking its target, the one the spell will condemn to perform ever more stupendous feats for the amusement of the spellcaster. Who does the shadow seek? “Whosoever displeases by failing to amuse.”
But that, of course, the Trickster-the one who has spent all day taking pleasure at others’ expense, providing none in return. And so the Trickster is not only the spellcaster but also the spell’s target, self- condemned to play until the god’s own insatiable need for entertainment is satisfied. Which is to say, self-condemned to play forever.
The spell takes hold; the stranger-god plays. The townspeople celebrate the performance they have been waiting for all day. Divine virtuosity pours out, turning from trickle to torrent to flood. But the deluge can do nothing to slake the god’s endless thirst, nothing to fulfill the god’s now-eternal task.
The spectacle may pause, but only because ceaseless revels lose their charm. The show must go on. (And on, and on.) The player has become the plaything, the Trickster has been tricked.
Or so it seems. It’s so hard to tell, with Tricksters.

[@gingerwithglasses6793]

Wake up babe, new John Mackey upload

[@SinkularJame]

Somedays I wake up and get reminded there are good things in the world

[@markuswil-fart1901]

Mmmm Baylor and Mackey... great combo.

[@aidanbirmingham7566]

THE LICK AT 23:10 LMAOOOO

[@BobbyJCFHvLichtenstein]

This is so cool - Mackey wrote a clarinet concerto! Although I don't play clarinet, it's so exciting to see new amazing material from Mackey! I swear, Mackey is such a treasure for modern composition!!!

[@CalebHammer]

Julian Bliss absolutely killed it 😎

[@jblissclarinet]

Thank you!

[@calebprovencher7727]

what are you doing here :0

[@AOgarage-w3d]

Mr Mackey, I heard you love to go to BOA and next year I am preforming at BOA. I preformed at the 2023 BOA with the centralia high school band and I was hoping I could possiably meet you at next BOS in Indianapolis. My band director met you her name is Mrs.Aarons-Denison. I would love to meet you sometime. I also love your work my favorite piece is lightning field and I’m preforming that in concert this year.

[@Ari-vk1lx]

Why is this man so f@&$:!? talented? Who in hell did you sell your soul to to be so amazing??? Whatever demon can keep it as long as we can keep Mackey going 😂❤

[@E4tHam]

This is an incredible recording! The way Julian Bliss rips through that crazy run at 24:20 absolutely blows me away A reference to a few quotes made in this piece: 2:40 (m.56) - Oscar Navarro Clarinet Concerto no. 2 - kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGPEmHl9h6Zgd9U 4:22 (m.111) - Asphalt Cocktail - kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZDLq6x4hLt7oZY 18:50 (m.14) - Symphonie Fantastique - kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3nKooOmn657a8U 19:40 (m.40) - Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks - kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6vFdJmGbtx6qpY 23:12 (m.184) - "The Lick" - kzbin.info/www/bejne/oaOnqZuklrB3bbM I'm certain I'm missing many more

[@JohnMackey]

The last 3 are correct! I'd never heard the Navarro, though, and "Asphalt Cocktail" isn't a conscious quote; it's just what my clarinet writing sounds like!

[@E4tHam]

@@JohnMackey Great coincidence!

[@jediknightguy82]

The Lick - nice!

[@richy77]

14:20 is SO FAMILIAR I just can't put a name on it ahh

[@Maxifichter]

At 8:30 I also hear a bit of Maslanka's clarinet concerto, specifically measure 144 of part one. Is that a quote or just a coincidence?:)

[@davidn2612]

Damn, what a present whenever a new one comes out

[@_nichrye]

oh thats fun. this is fun. he gets it

[@williampollard6981]

So much moving

[@toddzimbelman1030]

SO DAMN GREAT! All of it! Another killer Mackey composition, Julian (OMG), Eric and his amazing ensemble! You are all such treasures!

[@liamkearney3353]

considering performing this for our annual concerto competition at ithaca college next year!

[@saxefoner]

Awesome ending. Bliss owns it. Terrific composition.

[@gallafia3771]

Other composers: Difficulty - Grade 5 John: Difficulty - Really Hard 😭🤣

[@risentra6181]

20:01 the most badass 10 bars ever written for a clarinet concerto

[@crystalbertolami]

That was amazing!

[@laynewalters4716]

Sic ‘Em!

[@user-yi5lm1qb2i]

With you

[@iamheartripper3524]

Definitely one of the pieces I want to learn one day!!!

[@aunyastevens3249]

Guilty for adding it to every playlist at 0:20 😭

[@machida5114]

sodelicious............

[@mrman12w]

I really wish he would make an oboe concerto

[@MickeyX2M]

now just survive another year to avoid the curse

[@swinger9374]

I’m making a piano solo arrangement of Aurora Awakes. One day I’ll upload the score and my playing onto KZbin

[@pmkinskye5903]

I love when composers add descriptions to there music, amazing job! No way you had the licc twice…

[@alansun697]

Bruh 💀 18:50

[@Cornodebassetto]

Bravo!! What a fantastic addition to the repertoire.