Thomas Ryan wrote the Ballade and Polonaise in 1892, in two versions: one for clarinet and string quartet—meant for performance by the renowned Mendelssohn Quintette Club, of which Ryan was a member—and the other for clarinet and piano. After the slow opening ballade, a clarinet recitative leads to a lively, multi-sectional polonaise that includes passages of challenging technique. The work delighfully incorporates the best elements of nineteenth-century lyricism and virtuosity. The duration is about five minutes.
