This piece was composed in September 2024 at the request of the Sonor Clarinet Ensemble for competition. My relationship with them dates to 2016, and this is the third piece I've written for them, following Passacaglia in August and la Foire du Trone
The title Nocturnal evokes the idea of "at night," but unlike the calm and gentle atmosphere typically associated with a nocturne, this piece imagines a "sleeper train racing through the night." Like a nocturnal creature, the train comes to life after the world has gone to sleep, capturing the scenes of the night and the approach of dawn. In the pitch-black darkness where even the tracks can't be seen, the lone train travels beneath a sky full of stars, resembling a galaxy-bound locomotive on a cosmic journey. Where is the train headed? What sights await along the way? This is a musical fantasy inspired by a mysterious nighttime voyage.
The piece begins with four Bb clarinets playing a peculiar harmony that signals the start of this strange journey. As the rhythmic, pulsing bass line mimics the heartbeat of the train, acrobatic lines in the Bb clarinets create a rising sense of excitement. After a dreamy middle section where even the passengers seem to doze off, the train races toward its destination with increasing speed, culminating in a dramatic climax. Some might say this sleeper train is far too wild and eerie to fall asleep on, but I hope listeners will enjoy imagining a solo journey on a night train. From the lowest notes of the bass clarinet to the highest reaches of the Bb clarinet, immerse yourself in the full spectrum of clarinet timbre - as if showered in sound - and let yourself be swept away by its magic.

(Yuichi Abe)