Martin J. Van Klompenberg: Apex Predator for Bassoon & Bass Clarinet
Apex Predator
for bass clarinet and bassoon
by Martin J. Van Klompenberg - American bassoonist and composer
FROM THE COMPOSER:
Apex Predator began life as all pieces do: With a small child who loves dinosaurs.
During a video chat with my nephew, Georgie, he very excitedly told me of the
Titanboa, the largest snake that ever existed. Having never heard of this monstrous
beast, I took to the internet, and after falling into a wormhole, stumbled upon an
article on apex predators.
When one thinks of apex predators, the top link in the food chain, the usual thought
goes to lions, tigers and bears, however, depending on the biome, apex predators
come in all sorts of species, sizes, speeds and colors. This disparity is what I hoped
to explore. The Bengal Tiger, the well-known hunter, stalking and pouncing its
prey; the alligator snapping turtle, wading in its muddy home, waiting for a chance
to strike; the majestic orca, king of the oceans; the golden eagle, with its brilliant
wingspan; and the Komodo dragon, the largest lizard on earth, with its poisonous
bite and shockingly fast speed.