Experimental Sounds, Soothed by the Waves

Looking at a concert program on Friday and seeing that the opening work was by Charles Wuorinen, I was expecting the thorny, dense style — fascinating but difficult to penetrate—that is his trademark.
But the 2007 piece, “Ave Maria, Virgo Serena (on Josquin)” for clarinet, violin, cello and piano was simpler and even sweeter than the work on which it was based, Josquin des Prez’s great Renaissance motet. The scoring for clarinet, played by Benjamin Fingland, gave the noble melody a lilting quality; there were moments that this 12-tone master seemed to be channeling Copland.