Edward Gregson completed Tributes in the summer of 2010. Lasting some 16 minutes there are five pieces in the set each dedicated to a different composer and a different clarinettist (with whom Gregson had long musical associations). Each of the dedicatee composers wrote wonderfully for the Clarinet and as a tribute to them Gregson tried to invade indeed imitate their stylistic worlds in these pieces.They are as follows:To Francis Poulenc (for Emma Johnson) a rather dreamy toccata lyrical in feel but interrupted by typically quirky and disruptive rhythmic episodes.To Gerald Finzi (forJohn Bradbury) slow and lyrical with long melodic arches.To Igor Stravinsky (for Linda Merrick) asymmetric rhythms dominate with wide leaps in the solo line and bitonal harmony on the Piano.To Olivier Messiaen (for Nicholas Cox) based on the ravishing slow movement for Cello in his Quartet for the End of Time a seamless melody is woven around ever-changing repeated chords on the Piano.To Béla Bartók (for Michael Collins) the most virtuoso of the set; after a slow introduction a swirling folk-like dance unfolds mirroring Bartok s penchant for simple modal shapes and ostinati rhythms.
