Curtis, Mike: Bulgarian Bat Bite

Bulgarian Bat Bite was written in 2003 as a commission by the Quartetto Italiano di Clarinetti. It is an adaption and expansion of the composer's 1992 duet, Khyberian Catfit, which is included in his 10 Klezmer Duos, published by Advance Music of Germany. The Duo's name referred to the antics of the family cat, Khyber, without alluding to the Balkan influences upon the composers following a summer, 1992, klezmer tour to Eastern Europe. The name “Bulgarian Bat Bite” properly conveys the influence. The transition to half-clarinets (mouthpiece inserted into the lower joint) in the middle section, discovered in the composer’s lengthy exploration of free jazz, creates non-diatonic scales more associated with folk instruments and ecstatic dance.