Aphel, Die Schwarze Schlange [Contra Alto Clarinet Quartet]

The second half of Bethlehem's agony-filled "Aphel, Die Schwarze Schlange" arranged for 4 contra alto clarinets, with a pitched down contra alto masquerading as a fake octocontra alto on the bottom. Given that my contra alto is a long and mainly black instrument that struggles in agony to play the mournful lead, I found the setting appropriate.

I took cues mainly from Edmund Welles' arrangement, transposed from B minor down to the equally dark and depressing key of G# minor to better fit the contra alto's range.

Original (skip to 3:15 for the second half):
   • Bethlehem - Aphel die schwarze Schlange  

Edmund Welles' arrangement (live performance from Old First Church 2005, with Cornelius Boots' commentary in the description):
   • Agrippa's 3 Books: Postlude: Aphel-Di...  

Edmund Welles' arrangement (studio recording from Agrippa's 3 Books 2005):
   • Postlude: Aphel, Die Schwarze Schlange