The Clarinet

Transcription

The Clarinet

Volume38,Number4
AbOuTThECOVER…
Die Musiklehrlinge
(The Music Apprentices),
a hand-painted wood engraving from a
painting by O. Bilz, ca. 1880
INDEXOFADVERTISERS
AMB Clarinet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Ann Arbor Clarinet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Backun Musical Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC
Behn Mouthpieces International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Brannen Woodwinds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Bresnahan Woodwinds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Buffet Crampon USA, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC
California State University, Northridge . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Classical Collection Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Crystal Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
George Mason University – School of Music . . . . . . . 8
H . Karlsson Woodwinds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Illinois State University – School of Music . . . . . . . . 65
Jeanné, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Lisa’s Clarinet Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Lomax Classic Mouthpieces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Luyben Music Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
David McClune Mouthpiece Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Muncy Winds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
MusAid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Musikverlag Aegler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Naylor’s Custom Wind Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
New York University Steinhardt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Olivieri Reeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Ongaku Records, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
OR-TAV Music Publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Sean Osborn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Patricola Brothers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Pomarico S .N .C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Pyne Clarion Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Quodlibet, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Luis Rossi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Rovner Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15, 20
Rutgers University –
Mason Gross School of the Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
San Francisco Conservatory of Music . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Sayre Woodwinds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Tap Music Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Taplin-Weir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
University of Memphis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
University of Missouri –
School of Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
University of North Carolina –
School of the Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Van Cott Information Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Vanderbilt University –
Blair School of Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Vandoren SAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 103
Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Wichita Band Instrument Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Ralph Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
The Woodwind & Brasswind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Woodwindiana, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Yamaha Corporation of America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OBC
FEATuRES
September2011
CLARINETFEST® 2012
by Diane Barger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
ThERISEANDFALLOFThEbASSCLARINETINA
by Keith Bowen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
pLAYINGINTuNEONThECLARINET
by Raphael Sanders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
SAbRESYmpOSIum
a report by Sarah Watts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
CONCERTREVIEW:REEDpLAY
a review by Paul Harvey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
The LiTTLe harLequin
by Santiago Martínez Abad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
INmEmORYOFGEORGECROSSmAN–mAKEROFThEREEDuAL
1931–2011by Kathryne Pirtle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
STANLEYhASTY(1920–2011)
by Elizabeth Gunlogson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
STANLEYhASTY–hISLIFEANDTEAChING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
TRIbuTETODIETERKLöCKER(1936–2011)
by Luigi Magistrelli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
pRACTICETEChNIquES:uSINGThECONTEXTuALINTERFERENCE
EFFECTFORbETTERpERFORmANCE by Andrew DeBoer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
ANORChESTRALSTAGE:ACuLTuRALSKETChFROmThE
LIFEOFORChESTRALmuSICIANS–pARTVII by Simeon Bellison . . . . . . . . 80
ThE2011I.C.A.COmpOSITIONCOmpETITION
by Eric P. Mandat with Michael Norsworthy and Gregory Oakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
DEpARTmENTS
TEAChINGCLARINETby Michael Webster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
CLARINOTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
AuDIONOTESby William Nichols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
CONFERENCES&WORKShOpS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
hISTORICALLYSpEAKING…by Deborah Check Reeves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
LETTERFROmThEu.K.by Paul Harris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
ThEpEDAGOGYCORNERby Larry Guy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
CLARINETCAChEby Kellie Lignitz and Rachel Yoder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
CLARINETChOIR by Margaret Thornhill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
COmpETITIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
NEWSFROmSOuThAmERICAby Ricardo Dourado Freire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
NEWSFROmFRANCEby Jean-Marie Paul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
REVIEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
RECITALSANDCONCERTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
ThEpRESIDENT’SmESSAGEby Keith Koons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
September 2011
1
International Clarinet Association
President: Keith Koons, Department of Music, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816-1354, 407/823-5116 (office),
E-mail: [email protected]
Past President: Gary Whitman, School of Music, Texas Christian University, P.O. Box 297500, Ed Landreth Hall, Fort Worth, TX
76129, 817/257-6622 (office), 817/257-7640 (fax), E-mail: [email protected]
President Elect: John Cipolla, Western Kentucky University, Department of Music, 1906 College Heights Blvd. #41026,
Bowling Green, KY, 42101-1026, 270-745-7093 (office), 270-745-6855 (fax), E-mail: [email protected]
Secretary: Maxine Ramey, School of Music, The University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, Montana 59812 USA,
406-243-6880 (office), E-mail: [email protected]
Treasurer: Kathy Pope, University of Utah School of Music, 1375 Presidents Circle, Room 204, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0030,
801-587-9417 (office), E-mail: [email protected]
Executive Director: So Rhee, 500 West Main Street, #513, Oklahoma City, OK 73102, 405/651-6064 (phone), 212/457-6124 (fax),
Editor/Publisher: James Gillespie, 405 Santiago Place, Denton, Texas 76205; tel. 940/382-4393; fax: 940/565-2002;
Editorial Associates: Himie Voxman, 1 Oaknoll Court, Iowa City, IA 52246
Contributing Editor: Joan Porter, 400 West 43rd, Apt. 41L, New York, NY 10036
Editorial Staff: Gregory Barrett (Editor of Reviews), School of Music, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115,
815/753-8004, E-mail: [email protected]; Bruce Creditor, 11 Fisher Road, Sharon, MA 02067, E-mail: [email protected];
Larry Guy, 36 Hudson Avenue, Stony Point, NY 10980, E-mail: [email protected]; Paul Harris, 15 Mallard Drive,
Buckingham, Bucks. MK18 1GJ, U.K., E-mail: [email protected]; Thomas W. Jacobsen, 3970 Laurel Street,
New Orleans, LA 70115, E-mail: [email protected]; William Nichols (Audio Review Editor), 1033 Fawn Hollow, Bossier City,
LA 71111, 318/741-3373, E-mail: [email protected]; Jean-Marie Paul, Vandoren, 56 rue Lepic, F-75018 Paris, France,
(33) 1 53 41 83 08 (phone), (33) 1 53 41 83 02 (fax), E-mail: [email protected]; Deborah Check Reeves, Curator of
Education, National Music Museum, University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark St., Vermillion, SD 57069, phone: 605/ 677-5306,
fax: 605/677-6995, Museum website: www.usd.edu/smm, Personal website: www.usd.edu/~dreeves; Margaret Thornhill,
806 Superba Avenue, Venice, CA 90291, phone: 310/464-7653, E-mail [email protected], personal website:
http://margaretthornhill.com; Michael Webster, Shepherd School of Music, Rice University, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, TX
77251-1892, 713/838-0420 (home), 713/838-0078 (fax), E-mail: [email protected]; Heston L. Wilson, M.D., 1155 Akron
Street, San Diego, CA 92106, E-mail: [email protected]; Cynthia Wolverton, 2355 Laconia Court, Crofton, MD
21114, E-mail: [email protected]; Kellie Lignitz and Rachel Yoder, E-mail: [email protected]
I.C.A. Research Center: SCPA, Performing Arts Library, University of Maryland, 2511 Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center,
College Park, MD 20742-1630
Research Coordinator and Library Liaison: Jane Ellsworth, Eastern Washington University, Department of Music, Cheney, WA
99004, 509/359-7076, E-mail: [email protected]
Webmaster: Brian Covington, Covington Design, 661‑263‑1233 (phone), 661‑952‑1900 (fax), www.covingtondesign.com
Historian: Alan Stanek, 1352 East Lewis Street, Pocatello, ID 83201-4865, 208/232-1338 (phone), 208/282-4884 (fax),
E-mail:[email protected]
National Chairpersons:
National Chair Coordinator: Eddy Vanoosthuyse, Elzenlaan 29, B-8500 Kortrijk, Belgium, Tel. (mobile) +32477256366;
Argentina: Mariano Frogioni, Bauness 2760 4to. B, CP: 1431, Capital Federal, Argentina
Armenia: Alexandr G. Manukyan, Aigestan str. 6 h. 34,Yerevan 375070, Armenia, E-mail: [email protected]
Australia: Floyd Williams, Queensland Conservatorium, P. O. Box 3428, Brisbane 4001, Australia; 61/7 3875 6235 (office);
61/7 3374 2392 (home); 61/733740347 (fax); E-mail: [email protected]
Austria: Alfred Prinz, 3712 Tamarron Dr., Bloomington, Indiana 47408, U.S.A. 812/334-2226
Belgium: Guido Six, Artanstraat 3, B-8670 Oostduinkerke, Belgium, 32/58 52 33 94 (home), 32 59 70 70 08 (office),
Fax 32 58 51 02 94 (home), 32 59 51 82 19 (office), E-mail: [email protected]
Brazil: Ricardo Dourado Freire, SQS 402 Bl. H apt. 304, 70.236-080 Brasilia-DF BRAZIL, (5561) 3321 7626 (home),
(5561) 8429-0528 (mobile), E-mail: [email protected]
Canada, National Chair: Pat Daniels, 348 Oakwood Ave., Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3L 1G1, E-mail: [email protected]
Canada, St. Lawrence Region: Lorne Buick, 545 Brookside Rd., Brookside, NS, Canada B3T 1T4, E-mail: [email protected]
Canada, Great Lakes Region: Barbara Hankins, 35 Locust St., Kitchener, ON, Canada N2H 1W6, E-mail: [email protected]
Canada, Central Region: Margaret Wilson, Box 25A, RR5, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7K 3J8, E-mail: [email protected]
Canada, Pacific Region: Patricia Kostek, 3020 Foul Bay Rd., Victoria, BC, Canada V8R 5E3, E-mail: [email protected]
Chile: Luis Rossi, Coquimbo 1033 #1, Santiago centro, Chile, (phone/fax) 562/222-0162, E-mail: [email protected]
Columbia: Javier Asdrúbal Vinasco, Departmento de Música – Universidad EAFIT, Carrera 49 Nº 7 Sur – 50, Medellín – Colombia,
(phone) (57-4) 261 95 00 ext. 9432, E-mail: [email protected]
Costa Rica: Laura Jiménez Tassara, P.O. Box 1056-2070 San José, Costa Rica, (506) 8316-0587, E-mail: [email protected],
PROCLARI [email protected]
Czech Republic: Stepán Koutník, K haji 375/15 165 00 Praha 6, Czech Republic, E-mail: [email protected]
Denmark: Jørn Nielsen, Kirkevaenget 10, DK-2500 Valby, Denmark, 45-36 16 69 61 (phone), E-mail: [email protected]
Finland: Juhani Valtasalmi, Kotiportinkatu 1 B 4, 13500 Hämeenlinna, Finland, E-mail: [email protected]
France: Guy Deplus, 37 Square St. Charles, Paris, France 75012, 33 (0) 143406540 (phone), E-mail: [email protected]
Germany: Prof. Johannes M. Gmeinder, Hochschule für Musik Saar, Fichardstr. 38a, D-60322 Frankfurt/Main, Germany;
Tel: +49 69 15055911; E-mail: [email protected]
Great Britain: David Campbell, 83, Woodwarde Road, London SE22 8UL, England, 44 (0)20 8693 5696 (phone/fax),
Greece: Paula Smith Diamandis, S. Petroula 5, Thermi 57001, Thessaloniki, Greece, E-mail: [email protected]
Hong Kong: Maria Wong, Bonham Ville, 5 Bonham Road, mid Level, Hong Kong, 852-9365-2928 (phone),
Hungary: József Balogh, Hold utca 23, Fszt. 6, 1054 Budapest, Hungary, 361 388 6689 (phone),
E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]
Iceland: Kjartan ‘Oskarsson, Tungata 47, IS-101, Reykjavik, Iceland, 354 552 9612 (phone), E-mail: [email protected]
India: Dr. Pandit Narasimhalu Vadavati, Dr. Pandit Narasimhalu Vadavati Music Academy, # 4, IInd Cross, 7th main, Srirampura,
Bangalore – 560 021, Mobile: +91 9448023891, E-mail: [email protected]
Ireland: Paul Roe, 227, Grace Park Heights, Drumcondra, Dublin 9. Ireland, 00 353 87 2393173 (phone), E-mail: [email protected];
www.paulroe.org
Israel: Eva Wasserman-Margolis, Weizman 6, Apt. 3, Givatayim, Israel 53236, E-mail: [email protected]
Italy: Luigi Magistrelli, Via Buonarroti 6, 20010 S. Stefano Ticino (Mi), Italy, 39/(0) 2 97 27 01 45 (phone/fax),
Japan: Masaharu Yamamoto, 3F Yak Bldg 4-6-13 Yayoicho Nakanoku, Tokyo, 164-0013, Japan, 81 3 6382 7871 (phone),
81 3 6382 7872 (fax) website: http://eng.jp-clarinet.org/, E-mail: [email protected] and [email protected]
Korea: Im Soo Lee, Hanshin 2nd Apt., 108-302, Chamwondong Suhchoku, Seoul, Korea. (02) 533-6952 (phone),
Luxembourg: Marcel Lallemang, 11 Rue Michelshof, L-6251 Scheidgen, Luxembourg, E-mail: [email protected]
Mexico: Luis Humberto Ramos, Calz. Guadalupe I. Ramire No. 505-401 Col. San Bernadino, Xochimilco, Mexico D.F., 16030.
6768709 (fax), E-mail: [email protected]
Netherlands: Nancy Wierdsma-Braithwaite, Arie van de Heuvelstraat 10, 3981 CV, Bunnik, Netherlands,
New Zealand: Andrew Uren, 26 Appleyard Crescent, Meadowbank, Auckland 5, New Zealand, 64 9 521 2663 (phone and fax).
Norway: Håkon Stødle, Fogd Dreyersgt. 21, 9008 Tromsø, Norway 47/77 68 63 76 (home phone),
47/77 66 05 51 (phone, Tromsø College), 47/77 61 88 99 (fax, Tromsø College), E-mail: [email protected]
People’s Republic of China: Yi He, China Conservatory of Music, Chao yang District, Anxiang Road, Jia #1, Eastern gate,
Apt.403 Beijing, People’s Republic of China 100101, 86-10-8813-9893 (home), 86-13021158839 (cell),
Peru: Marco Antonio Mazzini, Calle Santa Fé 219, Lima 33, Peru, E-mail: [email protected]; 51 199 159 9904 (phone)
Poland: Krzysztof Klima, os. Wysokie 10/28, 31-819 Krakow, Poland. 48 12 648 08 82 (phone), 48 12 648 08 82 (fax),
Portugal: António Saiote, Rua 66, N. 125, 2 Dto., 4500 Espinho, Portugal, 351-2-731 0389 (phone),
Puerto Rico/Carribean: Kathleen Jones, Torrimar, Calle Toledo 14-1, Guaynabo, PR 00966-3105, Phone 787/782-4963,
Serbia: Andrija Blagojević, University of Pristina-Kosovska Mitrovica, Faculty of Arts, Kralja Petra Prvog 117, 38227 Zvečan,
Serbia, www.fakultetumetnosti-zvecan.edu.rs, 028/425-286 (office), 028/425-287 (fax), 063/8565-688 (cell),
Slovenia: Joze Kotar, Tesarska 10, 1000 Ljublana, Slovenia, +386 41 675 438 (phone), E-mail: [email protected]
South Africa: Edouard L. Miasnikov, P.O. Box 249, Auckland Park, 2006, Johannesburg, South Africa, (011) 476-6652 (phone/fax)
Spain: Carlos Jesús Casadó Tarín, Calle Bausá, 8-10, Ptal.1-2°G Madrid 28033, Spain, (00 34) 690694557 (phone),
Sweden: Stefan Harg, Tyska Brinken 19, 111 27 Stockholm Sweden, 0046(0)8 733 25 53 (phone), 0046(0)708 654 235 (cell),
Switzerland: Matthias Müller, Zurich University of the Arts, Schulhausstrasse 9, CH-8127 Forch/Zürich, Switzerland,
+41 44 980 48 05 (phone), E-mail: [email protected]
Taiwan: Chien-Ming, 3F, 33, Lane 120, Hsin-Min Street, Tamsui, Taipei, Taiwan 25103
Thailand: Peter Goldberg, 105/7 Soi Suparat, Paholyotin 14, Phyathai, Bangkok 10400 Thailand, 662/616-8332 (phone) or
662/271-4256 (fax), E-mail: [email protected]
Uruguay: Horst G. Prentki, José Martí 3292 / 701, Montevideo, Uruguay 11300, 00598-2-709 32 01 (phone)
Venezuela: Victor Salamanques, Calle Bonpland, Res. Los Arboles, Torrec Apt. C-14D, Colinas de Bello Yonte Caracas 1050,
Venezuela, E-mail: [email protected]
Honorary Members
Betty Brockett (1936–2003)
Clark Brody, Evanston, Illinois
Jack Brymer (1915–2003)
Larry Combs, Evanston, Illinois
Buddy DeFranco, Panama City Beach, Florida
Guy Deplus, Paris, France
Stanley Drucker, New York, New York
F. Gerard Errante, Las Vegas, Nevada
David Etheridge (1942–2010)
Lee Gibson, Denton, Texas
James Gillespie, Denton, Texas
Paul Harvey, Twickenham, Middlesex, U.K.
Stanley Hasty, Rochester, New York
Ramon Kireilis, Denver, Colorado
Béla Kovács, Budapest, Hungary
Jacques Lancelot (1920–2009)
Karl Leister, Berlin, Germany
Mitchell Lurie (1922–2008)
John McCaw, London, England
John Mohler, Chelsea, Michigan
Fred Ormand, Lawrence, Kansas
Bernard Portnoy (1915–2006)
Alfred Prinz, Bloomington, Indiana
Harry Rubin, York, Pennsylvania
James Sauers (1921–1988)
James H. Schoepflin, Spokane, Washington
William O. Smith, Seattle, Washington
Ralph Strouf (1926–2002)
Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr, East Lansing, Michigan
Himie Voxman, Iowa City, Iowa
George Waln (1904–1999)
David Weber (1914–2006)
Pamela Weston (1921–2009)
Commercial Advertising / General Advertising Rates
Rates & Specifications
The Clarinet is published four times a year and contains at least 48 pages printed offset on 70
lb. gloss stock. Trim size is approximately 8 1/2” x 11”. All pages are printed with black ink,
with 4,000 to 4,500 copies printed per issue.
Deadlines for Articles, Announcements, Recital Programs, Advertisements, etc.
Sept. 1 for Dec. issue • Dec. 1 for Mar. issue • Mar. 1 for June issue • June 1 for Sept. issue
—Advertising Rates —
Size
Picas
Inches
Single Issue (B/W)
Color**
Outside Cover*
46x60
7-5/8x10
N/A
$1,100
with bleed
53x68
8-3/4x11-1/4
Inside Front Cover*
46x60
7-5/8x10
N/A
$ 950
with bleed
53x68
8-3/4x11-1/4
Inside Back Cover*
46x60
7-5/8x10
N/A
$ 900
with bleed
53x68
8-3/4x11-1/4
Full Page
46x60
7-5/8x10
$460
$ 760
with bleed
53x68
8-3/4x11-1/4
2/3 Vertical
30x60
5x10
$350
$ 605
46x29
7-5/8x4-3/4
$265
$ 520
1/2 Horizontal
1/3 Vertical
14x60
2-3/8x10
$220
$ 365
1/3 Square
30x29
5x4-3/4
$220
$ 365
1/6 Horizontal
30x13-1/2
5x2-3/8
$130
$ 255
1/6 Vertical
14x29
2-3/8x4-3/4
$130
$ 255
*First request honored.
**A high-quality color proof, which demonstrates approved color, must accompany all color submissions. If not
provided, a color proof will be created at additional cost to advertiser.
NOTE: Line screen values for the magazine are 150 for black & white ads and 175 for color. If the poor quality of any
ad submitted requires that it be re-typeset, additional charges may be incurred.
All new ads must be submitted in an electronic format. For more information concerning this procedure,
contact Executive Director So Rhee.
The International Clarinet Association
Membership Fees
Student: $25 (U.S. dollars)/one year; $45 (U.S. dollars)/two years
Regular: $50 (U.S. dollars)/one year; $95 (U.S. dollars)/two years
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September 2011
3
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I.C.A. Honorary
Membership Nomination Procedure
In accordance with the International Clarinet Association By-Laws (Article V, Section 6), a special category of Honorary Membership has been created for persons of “unusual distinction.” The International Clarinet Association Board of Directors invites
the general membership to nominate individuals for Honorary Memberships from the areas of professional service, teaching,
performance, and/or lifetime achievements. Nominators should include a brief biographical sketch of the candidate along with
further information as specified below. There is a limit of one nomination per person. Nominations must be postmarked no later
than December 15, 2011, and sent to:
Dr. Maxine Ramey, Secretary,
Professor of Music
School of Music
The University of Montana
32 Campus Drive
Missoula, Montana 59812 USA
Nominations for Honorary Memberships should include the following information:
nominee’s name, address, phone and e-mail address
biographical sketch of nominee
supportive documentation of the nominee’s qualifications
nominator’s name, address, phone and e-mail address
Jonathan Cohler
“an absolute master of the clarinet” —The Clarinet
Ongaku 024-119
Ilya Kaler, violin • Andrew Mark, cello
• Janice Weber, piano
messiaen Quartet for the End of Time •
Theme and Variations (violin & piano)
“absolutely incredible”
—Rebecca Rischin
Author of “For the End of Time”
JONATHAN COHLER
The
Clarinet
Alone
the Clarinet alone
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OsBOrne Rhapsody • Paganini Moto
Perpetuo • Persichetti Parable for
Solo Clarinet • smith 5 Pieces for
Clarinet Alone • kOch Monolog 3 •
Wellesz Suite for Clarinet Solo
Jonathan Cohler &
ClareMont trio
Ongaku 024-122
James Sommerville, horn •
Mai Motobuchi, viola
Brahms Trio, Op. 114 •
Beeth
eethOven Trio, Op. 11 •
dOhnányi
hnányi Sextet
“...among the loveliest
clarinet sounds I’ve ever
heard...a transcendent
technique...This is
required listening for
anyone interested in
the clarinet!”
—Fanfare
Moonflowers, BaBy!
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Judith Gordon, piano
crystal recOrds cd
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Judith Gordon, piano
Brahms Sonata in F Minor
• WeBer Grand Duo
Concertant • Bärmann
Adagio • sargOn Deep
Ellum Nights
hindemith Sonata • hOnegger
Sonatina • Francaix Theme and
Variations • vaughan Williams
Six Studies in English Folksong •
milhaud Duo Concertant •
Caprice • BOzza Pulcinella •
kuPFerman Moonflowers, Baby!
rhapsodie française
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Rasa Vitkauskaite, piano
saint-saëns Sonata • messager Solo
de Concours • WidOr Introduction et
Rondo • chaussOn Andante et
Allegro • raBaud Solo de Concours •
deBussy Première Rhapsodie • BOzza
Bucolique • cahuzac Cantilène
COHLER
COH
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BRAHMS
Sonata in Eb Major
•
POULENC
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Sonata
•
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Fantasy Pieces
•
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•
STRAVINSKY
Three Pieces
CLAR
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Cohler on Clarinet
“I know of no finer
recording of the
Beethoven, and this
one stands with the
best classic versions
of the Brahms.”
—Fanfare
or
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5
Gee, Whiz!
Fifty-fourth in a series of articles using excerpts from a teaching method in
progress by the Professor of Music at Rice
University’s Shepherd School of Music
G
ee, whiz, time flies! The last time
we discussed extending the range
of an intermediate clarinetist was
in September 2004! Since then, we’ve
taken some fascinating and article-consuming journeys into scales and arpeggios, tuning, breathing, and miscellaneous
skills such as trills, practicing methods,
yoga, articulation, swing and early music .
But the journey up the range of the instrument stopped at E3 (third ledger line above
the staff) . After seven years, it’s about
time we went higher!
E3 is a very good first goal when approaching the high (altissimo) register .
From C-sharp3 to E3 are notes that speak
fairly easily and offer minimal difficulty
with intonation . It bears repeating that
learning the correct fingerings from the
very beginning is important, namely Csharp without the added right pinky E-flat
key, then D, D-sharp (E-flat), and E with
the pinky E-flat . (All fingering mentioned
include the thumb hole covered and the
register key open .) Use the forked fingering for D-sharp immediately, because the
middle finger D-sharp is so flat . The contrary motion of C-sharp without the pinky
E-flat key, D, forked D-sharp and E with
the pinky E-flat key is awkward, but with
plenty of slow practice those fingerings
will “lock in .” Never say never, unless referring to playing C-sharp with the pinky
E-flat key down! The result is almost a
quarter step sharp . Occasionally, speed
will not allow the contrary motion deEx 1:
&c
&c
&c
6
#œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ
œ #œ #œ œ
..
..
..
#w
w
w
by Michael Webster
Michael Webster
scribed above . If so, it is better not to use
the E-flat key at all, rather than to leave it
down for C-sharp .
Example 1
c
c
c
œ #œ œ œ
œ œ bœ œ
œ bœ bœ œ
..
..
..
w
w
w
The Clarinet
3
4
3
4
3
4
It is wise to spend at least a couple of
months with E as the top note so that the
embouchure can strengthen and become
accustomed to the increased resistance of
the high register . Example 1 shows a few
note combinations with E as the highest
note . These should be mastered before going higher . In all of the examples, the right
pinky is up for C-sharp down for D and
above . It is important that the reed offer
enough resistance in this range . Playing
on a reed that is too weak is actually more
difficult, and I’d recommend that under
most circumstances the student use a 3½
strength at least .
Extending the range up to F, F-sharp
and G offers significant new challenges
in embouchure and voicing . Remember
that for all of the notes between C-sharp
and F-sharp the open hole of the left index
finger is acting as a second register key .
The standard register key, manipulated by
the left thumb, produces the third partial,
a 12th above the fundamental (first partial)
tone of the low (chalumeau) register . This
is unlike all other wind instruments, which
overblow to the second partial, an octave
higher than the fundamental tone .
In previous articles, we have discussed
how the ideal placement and size of a register key should actually be different for
each note–lower and larger for lower notes
with a long column of air in the instrument, higher and smaller for higher notes
with a short air column . The index hole is
actually too large to be a perfect register
key for any of these notes, but this deficiency gets worse and worse as we
M.move
Webster
chromatically up from C-sharp to F-sharp .
Not only is it too large for F and F-sharp,
it is also too low on the instrument . This is
why these two notes are so unstable .
œ #œ œ œ œ #œ
#œ œ #œ œ bœ œ
œ #œ #œ
œ #œ #œ
..
..
..
˙.
#˙.
˙.
M. Webster
Ex 2:
&c
3
&4
&c
&c
&c
œ œ œ œ
Example 2
w
..
œ #œ œ œ œ bœ
bœ œ œ œ
..
œ œ #œ œ
..
#œ #œ œ œ
c
˙.
..
c
bw
c
..
&c
3
&4
œ #œ œ œ
œ œ #œ
..
w
œ #œ œ œ
#w
3
4
..
..
#œ œ œ œ œ œ
3
4
#œ œ #œ œ œ œ bœ œ
w
..
w
c
..
˙.
c
c
œ #œ œ œ
#œ œ œ #œ
September 2011
2011
œœœœ
œ bœ œ œ
œ #œ œ œ
#œ œ œ
#œ œ œ
Example 3
#w
c
clarinetist is to play F and F-sharp softly
without grunting or squeaking . D, D-sharp
and E can all be stabilized by adding half
hole with the left index finger . But F and
especially F-sharp are, by nature, flat in
pitch, and adding half hole just makes
them all the flatter . There are alternate fingerings to address this issue, but for now,
have the student finger F and F-sharp normally, lifting the left ring finger and pinky
to achieve F-sharp . This note will be flat,
but the pitch discrepancy can be minimized with good solid embouchure and a
high tongue . Example 2 shows some finger exercises for F and F-sharp . C-sharp/
F-sharp is particularly difficult because
the C-sharp is sharp, the F-sharp is flat,
and the right pinky must go down and up .
I recommend that the student stay in
the fifth partial for the first attempt at G,
œ #œ œ œ nw
..
c
œ #œ œ
w
..
œ œ bœ œ
w
If E has been mastered, then playing F
by opening the left pinky C-sharp/G-sharp
key is usually not problematic . The pitch
is a little bit flatter than the E, but that can
be mostly compensated for with a high
tongue and firm embouchure . If the student produces significant grunt (first partial attempting to assert itself because the
register hole is too big), check to be sure
that the reed is strong enough and instruct
him/her to play a bit louder . It may also
be necessary to move the lower lip a tiny
bit lower on the reed . Emphasize that the
embouchure must be firm, supplying muscular pressure from every direction . By
playing at least mezzo forte, the student
eliminates grunt and gains confidence to
play gradually more softly over a period
of weeks and months .
One of the biggest challenges for any
Ex 3:
œ œ œ œ
..
..
..
..
#˙.
..
..
w
w
w
#˙.
fingering it with the LH index finger and
RH pinky E-flat key . This fingering blends
well in pitch and quality with middle finger
F-sharp, and is “pre-voiced” by staying in
the fifth partial . After the student becomes
somewhat fluent with those fingerings and
is able to play them nearly in tune, the RH
fork key can be added to F-sharp and G
in order to raise the pitch . The reason it
is better not to introduce these fingerings
right away is that some passages require
the simple fingerings and it is necessary to
be able to play them in tune . Adding the
fork is also somewhat awkward .
One must adopt a special position to
use the forked fingering in this context beM.When
Webster
cause the right hand rings are up .
using the forked fingering for third partial
F-sharp in a chromatic passage, the rings
are down and the fork key can be touched
w
#œ#œ œ œ #w
..
c
œ #œ œ œ
..
#w
7
M. Webster
#œ #œ œ œ #w
..
&c
Ex 4:
directly in the center . For F-sharp and G,
however, the fork key must be fingered
near the rod so that the rings can stay up .
Mistakenly hitting the ring will prevent it
from lifting all the way, thus lowering the
pitch and defeating the purpose .
But adding the fork is not “cheating!”
F-sharp with the added RH fork is the fingering most professionals use most often
because it has good tone quality and can be
played in tune with far less effort than the
fingering without the fork . The exercises of
Example 3 should be played first without
the right-hand fork, and later adding the
fork on F-sharp and G to improve the intonation . Then the fork can be added on all
of the F-sharps and G-flats in Example 2 .
Finally, Example 4 shows two special
cases . When approaching F-sharp from Dsharp, finger the forked D-sharp near the
rod to prepare for the F-sharp . When trill-
Example 4
#œ#œ#œ œ #w
..
c
c
#œ
œ#œ œ
ing from F-sharp to G, add the fork and
wiggle the first side key . The resulting G
is a tad flatter than first finger G, but quite
acceptable . When finishing the trill with
grace notes, land on first finger G rather
than the side key . When played loudly,
such as at the end of the first movement of
Weber’s Concerto No. 1 in F Minor, this
fingering is brilliant, in tune, and worthy
of the comment, “Gee whiz!”
In the next issue, we’ll investigate alternate fingerings for F, F-sharp, and G .
Webster’s Web
Your feedback and input to these articles
are valuable to our readership . Please send
comments and questions to Webster’s
Web at mwebster@rice .edu or Michael
Webster, Shepherd School of Music, MS532, P .O . Box 1892, Houston TX 77251-
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8
The Clarinet
..
w
c
Ÿ~~
#w œ œ w
1892; fax 713-348-5317; website www .
ruf .rice .edu/~mwebster .
In response to “No Visible Means of
Support,” I received a clarification of
the workings of the diaphragm from Dr .
Thomas Ashby . He is referring to these
statements:
1) Michel Debost: The diaphragm is a reflex muscle . It does not respond to will
power, try as we may… . Since there is
no sensory perception of the movements
of the diaphragm at any time, there is
no way that we can control them . Only
when studying medicine…did I understand that the playing concept of diaphragmatic technique was scientifically
incorrect… .Involuntary, the movements
of the diaphragm are conditioned, freed,
or hindered by all the muscles, lower or
upper, surrounding it .
2) Shirlee Emmons: The descent and ascent of the diaphragm are not directly
controllable. The diaphragm is passive
during singing .
3) myself: The diaphragm separates the
thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity . Like the heart, it is an involuntary
muscle, working 24/7 without a thought .
Dr . Ashby’s letter:
I just received the June edition of
The Clarinet, and as is my custom,
the first article I turned to was your
teaching method .
I am a retired physician, a very
active amateur musician, with clarinet being my primary instrument in
recent years .
I was especially interested in
the topic of this article – the very
complex subject of breathing . In
the third column of the first page,
you made the comment that the diaphragm was entirely an involuntary
muscle, with no external control .
I’m afraid to say that this is incorrect . The thoracic diaphragm is entirely skeletal muscle, the innervation of each hemi-diaphragm being
the left or right phrenic nerve, which
originates from the third to fifth levels of the cervical spinal cord .
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The seemingly spontaneous
breathing that occurs when we are
asleep or at rest is actually being
controlled by the respiratory centers
in the brain stem, which are sensing oxygen and CO2 levels in the
blood and sending down signals to
the phrenic nerve cells in the cervical spinal cord . Otherwise, we are in
full control of diaphragmatic function, from being able to stop our
breathing entirely for a short period
to taking a massive breath before a
prolonged clarinet passage .
Well-known diseases that illustrate how this can go wrong would
include poliomyelitis, in which the
phrenic nerve cells in the spinal
cord are damaged or destroyed, or
the post-viral Guillian-Barre syndrome, in which nerve damage can
be bad enough to require ventilatory
assistance but fortunately may improve or return to normal in time .
One other all too common disease
is emphysema (chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease) in which the
lungs become over-expanded because of expiratory obstruction that
prevents air from leaving the lung
fully (smoking being, by far, the
most common reason for this) . The
dilated lungs literally push the diaphragm down and prevent the passive return of the dome shape that
occurs with quiet expiration . Such
a patient must increasingly rely on
the accessory muscles, the sternocleidomastoids, intercostals and abdominal muscles, just to stay alive .
The wonderful creation that is
our brain runs all of this without our
having to think about the details every moment, but we do have to de-
velop the proper habits over a long
time in order to play our beloved
instrument well .
Sorry that this letter is so much
longer than I intended it to be, but it
is a very complicated subject .
– Thomas M . Ashby, M .D .
I also heard from Larry Guy, whose
column I enjoy reading in each issue of
The Clarinet. He writes:
The detail with which you describe a natural but very complex
interaction of muscles is just the sort
of information we all need, a sort of
overview, so that when playing we
can distill it into a few key muscle
directives . I think it has to stay
pretty simple, but that comes from
knowing the details of what happens
when all is working well .
I also agree that we must go to
the singers for inspiration and instruction, since they’ve had such
a history of studying the use of
the air . If you haven’t already read
Renee Fleming’s book, The Inner
Voice, you might enjoy it . She goes
into quite a lot of detail about support, and covers much of the ground
you do, but uses some different descriptions and terms . I’ll be recommending her book in an upcoming
article for The Clarinet, and perhaps
quoting it here and there . She made
a study of the old Bell Telephone
Hour appearances of great singers,
and learned a lot by watching them
sing – their posture, expansion,
“softness in the neck”, etc .
The comments from both Dr . Ashby
and Larry underscore the complexity of
the subject of breathing . It is worthy of
continued study and investigation .
C LA R I N E T SO LOS
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Classic alColle ction In c .Co m
10
The Clarinet
The finalists (l–r): Jyunichi Shirafuji (suit with tie), Satoshi Minami, Katsuhiro Oguri, Sue
Hyun Pak and Hiroshi Arakawa
JapanClarinet
Associationhosts
CompositionCompetition
A Report by Akari Yamamoto
T
he Japan Clarinet Association
marked its 30th anniversary by hosting a competition at the Parthenon
Tama Hall . Sponsored by the Japan Clarinet Association and the Tama City Cultural Foundation, the association called upon
composers hoping to discover new works
that could further enrich the repertoire of
future clarinetists . The competition was
held in two rounds and the pieces were
judged both by the quality of the composition and the quality of the performance
of the work . Twenty-four works were sub-
mitted and performed which included solo
pieces, sonatas, larger chamber works, and
concertos . Five compositions (two solo
pieces and three sonatas) were selected to
be advanced after the preliminary round .
The final round was held on April 3, 2011
and was open to the public . Each of the five
compositions offered new possibilities for
the clarinet and showcased the beauty of
the instrument as well as the composition
for all who came to watch . After the performances, the jury, consisting of Shinichiro Ikebe , Kitazume Michio, Ichiro Nodaira, Shuhei Isobe, Katsumi Nakamura,
Hidemi Mikai and Seiji Yokokawa, had an
open discussion on the final award selection . After a heated one-hour long debate,
the results were as follows:
The judges (l–r): Shinichiro Ikebe (folding his arm), Kitazume Michio, Ichiro Nodaira, Shuhei
Isobe, Katsumi Nakamura, Hidemi Mikai and Seiji Yokokawa
12
The Clarinet
1st place: Satoshi Minami; 350,000Yen;
Eleven Faces for Clarinet in B-flat and
Piano; Clarinet: Timothy Carter
1stplace:Jyunichi Shirafuji; 350,000Yen;
Love of Fool for Clarinet and Piano;
Clarinet: Chikako Kondo
3rdplace: Hiroshi Arakawa; 100,000Yen;
Sonate ”La colline de Montmartre“ for
clarinette and piano; Clarinet: Kenji
Matsumoto
3rd place: Sue Hyun Pak; 100,000Yen;
Y’s portrait (Clarinet Solo); Clarinet:
Ayako Harada
3rdplace: Katsuhiro Oguri; 100,000Yen;
Improvisation (Clarinet Solo); Clarinet: Naoko Kotaniguchi
The two first-place winners, Mr. Satoshi Minami and Mr. Jyunichi Shirafuji,
will be commissioned to write a solo clarinet piece for the 2012 JCA clarinet competition.
JohnphilipSousa
FoundationAnnounces
YoungArtist
CompetitionWinner
T
he John Philip Sousa Foundation
has announced that Ryan Pereira,
a junior clarinetist from Pocono
Mountain East High School in Swiftwater, PA, has been selected as the winner of
the John Philip Sousa Foundation Young
Artist Clarinet Competition . In addition to
a $500 prize, Ryan will also be featured
as a guest soloist with the George Mason
University Symphony Orchestra in Fairfax, Virginia in October 2011 . Pereira
performed the second movement of the
Weber Concerto No. 2.
Pereira, who is a student of Sanford
Kravette and is a full-time member of
his high school band, has been selected
to Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District, Regional and All-State
Bands, performs with the Young People’s
Philharmonic and the Lehigh Valley Performing Arts High School Orchestra and
was a finalist in the Voorhees Concerto
Competition . His repertoire includes a
long list of standard solos and etudes, including the Mozart and Weber concertos,
both Brahms sonatas, the Hindemith and
Poulenc sonatas, the Messager Solo de
concours and many other standards .
The Young Artist Competition was in
its first year and attracted high school clarinetists from Florida, Georgia, Virginia,
New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut,
New Mexico, Alabama and Minnesota .
Students were required to select repertoire
from a required list of compositions and
to submit a videotape of their performance
which was adjudicated by a panel which included Doug Graham (University of South
Carolina), Joseph Hermann (Tennessee
Tech University), Edward Lisk (Oswego,
NY), Bruce Dinkins (Daniel Boone HS in
Austin, TX) and John Casagrande (George
Mason University) . Casagrande served as
the chairman of the committee .
Further information about this year’s
Clarinet Competition, as well as other
instruments, can be found at Sousa
Foundation .org .
For further Information contact John E .
Casagrande at jcasagra@gmu .edu or 703743-2023 .
Dr . Michael Stewart (UT Bands) both
worked many hours with the former’s advance planning, logistics and artistic guidance, and the latter with his fine rehearsals
and conducting . Recognition is due also to
Angelique Postic, graduate assistant at UT,
for her stylistic solos in various pieces .
The venues included schools, fairs, bazaars, and on live television in Chengdu .
Several first-rate ensembles and perform-
ers played for us, most impressively several students from Chengdu No . 7 High
School, who played excerpts from the
Spohr Concerti 1 & 2 and the Françaix
Concerto, a cappella and from memory .
Audiences were very receptive and appreciative, as was everybody we met in
China . The tour was wonderful culturally
and musically and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity .
universityofTennessee
ClarinetChoirinChina
A Report by John Snyder
T
he University of Tennessee Clarinet Choir toured March 11–20 in
and around Beijing, Xi’an and
Chengdu . The repertory included Mozart,
Rondo, K . 361; Stalpers, Clownery; Finale from the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto
(Gary Sperl, soloist); Overture to William
Tell; Porgy & Bess; Chinese folk songs;
New York/New York; and Stars & Stripes.
Gary Sperl (professor of clarinet) and
September 2011
13
by William Nichols
C
ontinuing a steady stream of interesting bass clarinet solo and
chamber music recordings, I have
received a CD from clarinetist Ingólfur
Vilhjálmsson entitled Dualism.
Duo Dualism consists of Vilhjálmsson,
bass clarinet, and marimbist/percussionist Tobias Guttmann. The disc presents
five works by Icelandic composers and
one Finnish piece (Karkija). With the
exception of a 1991 work by Ingólfsson,
these 21st-century pieces were written for
Duo Dualism. The bass clarinet/marimba
works are: Bois Chantant by Áskelli Másson; Brainstorm in a Glass of Water by
Gunnar A. Kristinsson; Karkija by Antti
Auvinen; and Opna by Atli Ingólfsson.
Additionally there is Áki Ásgeirsson’s
337º for bass clarinet, percussion and interactive computer-generated sounds, and
Kolbeinn Einarsson’s The Indigenous
Spirit for bass clarinet and percussion.
Vilhjálmsson is an Icelandic-born
clarinetist who resides in Berlin, and who
received training in Amsterdam. Bass
clarinet teachers include Harry Sparnaay
and Eric van Deuren. He is a member of
Adapter Ensemble (of Berlin), and in addition to Duo Dualism, he has established
another ensemble, Duo Plus, with accordionist Andrea Kiefer.
Percussionist Tobias Guttmann was
born in Austria and studied in Salzburg
and Amsterdam. He is an active performer
of new music and has also played with traditional symphonic ensembles such as the
Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and
the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century.
Guttmann and Vilhjálmsson met in Amsterdam in 2004 and have established an
impressive and virtuosic ensemble. The
recording at hand is (I believe) their first.
Given interesting music and highly
competent performers, which are ingredients we have here, the unusual pairing of
bass clarinet and marimba is quite an effective medium. The music programmed
on this release could be generally regarded
by many listeners as avant-garde. Each of
the works has some engaging concepts to
offer the tuned-in listener, and presents interpretive and technical challenges for the
performers. Extended techniques such as
multiphonics, slap tonguing, key clicks,
growls, etc. are demanded of the clarinetist in several of these compositions, and
are convincingly executed by Vilhjálmsson. Repeated hearings yield greater rewards with each of the pieces, although
Másson’s dramatic Bois Chantant, with
its exciting rhythmic content, striking unison passages, and tight ensemble playing
has immediate appeal. Also very effective
from initial contact is Ingólfson’s Opna.
There is some captivating writing here
and use of abrupt dynamic changes. Vilhjámsson’s pianissimo playing throughout
all registers of the instrument beautifully
realizes this music.
Another notable work which bears
mention is by Áki Ásgeirsson. Program
notes state that “ 337º is a piece from
another planet.” – the global media has
inexplicably overlooked the story of the
millennium! The notes also offer an explanation of the title: “The title is actually
an opus number, which was arbitrarily set
as a task by the composer for himself on
his 30th birthday; by composing one piece
every month he will reach the opus 0 and
retire at the age of 60.” Computer sounds,
generated by bass clarinet and percussion
sound, provide an interesting dimension
to this listening experience. It is appropriate that 337º is indeed the “spaciest” piece
on this program.
Throughout this recording the playing by Vilhjálmsson and Guttmann is dynamic, precise, and committed. Both individuals exhibit a highly developed sense of
balance and pacing in this sometimes difficult music. Performances are thoughtful
and well prepared, and display spontaneity
and abandon where appropriate. Duo Dualism’s artistry is also well captured on this
excellent sounding disc (recorded in Austria). Program notes are in Icelandic, and
fortunately also in English and German.
Recommended to adventuresome listeners and to bass clarinetists and percussionists seeking serious recital material.
Dualism was produced under the auspices
of the Iceland Music Information Center,
ITM 907, and is available from several
sources including www.amazon.com and
www.ArkivMusic.com .
* * * * *
Yet another CD release which in great
part features the bass clarinet comes from
clarinetist/composer Jorge Variego. Entitled Necessity, this CD on the Albany la-
14
The Clarinet
bel presents seven works by Variego, and
four pieces by others: Sergio Fidemraizer:
Viento Sur for bass clarinet and tape; Mike
Solomon: Una passeggiata per la Piazza
San Marco for fixed clarinet ensemble;
James Paul Sain: Kornighet for clarinet
and tape; and Billie Holiday’s (with Arthur
Herzog) God Bless the Child, in what Variego states “is a personal version based on
Eric Dolphy’s rendition…”
Jorge Variego’s works are: Statement,
Deceptive Palindrome, and Final Statement, all for clarinet quartet (treated here
as separate pieces placed at the beginning,
middle and end of the disc, but which are
collectively the movements of the composer’s Clarinet Quartet No. 1); Song for
clarinet and bass clarinet; Giant Shapes
for prepared clarinet in B-flat/A and computer; Mimic for clarinet and joystick; and
Now That You are Here for bass clarinet
and computer.
Jorge Variego was born in Argentina
and received his early training including a bachelor’s degree there. He holds
a master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon
University and is a 2011 candidate to receive a doctorate in composition from
the University of Florida. He has been
the recipient of several prizes and fellowships including the first prize in the Carlos
Guastavino composition competition. He
has performed as a soloist with orchestras
in Argentina, and for the past five years
has been a resident artist at the Pittsburgh
Center for the Arts.
Although some of the repertoire presented on this release requires multiple
clarinetists, Variego is the only player
heard. He plays clarinet and bass clarinet,
and through multitrack recording technique, performs all the parts of the ensemble pieces. It is apparent from this disc
and a number of YouTube performances
(of new music and more traditional playing) that Jorge Variego is an accomplished
player with a beautifully focused and colored clarinet tone and the skills (including extended techniques) to realize the
demands of this contemporary program.
He plays the bass clarinet with enthusiasm
and panache, if not always with the round
darkness exhibited in his soprano playing.
The majority of the works programmed
are new, dating from 2007–2009, with the
exception of James Paul Sain’s Kornighet
of 1995, and of course the Billie Holiday
God Bless the Child (1941). Some of the
notable pieces by Variego include his two
clarinet ensemble works. The three clarinet quartet movements exhibit interesting
and effective use of dissonant harmonic
texture, contrapuntal writing (especially
the palindrome movement), and an imaginative use of tone clusters, which in the
final movement the composer refers to as
“moving cluster.” These quartet pieces are
a strong programming possibility for a
college or professional clarinet ensemble
looking for an edgy contemporary (yet
playable) work. In part the same can be
said of the brief Song for clarinet and bass
clarinet. This slow, melancholy duet is
elegiac, and “Both voices are very lyrical
and fuse clarity with drama.” As might be
expected in a recording such as this release, there is some inconsistency among
different works in sonic perspectives offered by the recording process. In this
instance (Song), the edgy sound seems to
belie much of the warm clarinet timbres
heard at other times in the recording, and
needed here.
The pieces for solo clarinet or bass clarinet, and electronic sounds are to varying
degrees successful regarding clarinet writing and almost always fascinating in their
electronic content. The wind-like effect
and seemingly free interplay of live and
recorded sound in Fidemraizer’s Viento
Sur is notable, as well as the wide ranging use of extended playing techniques.
The calm second half of the piece and the
solo bass clarinet section which closes the
last minute is a highlight of this otherwise
frantic piece.
Even though it’s the “Golden Oldie”
electronic piece of this program (1995),
Sain’s Kornighet (“granulated”) is a
breath of fresh air regarding balance and
conception. With this piece, in which “All
September 2011
timbres originate from clarinet or ‘clarinet
like’ sounds,” the tape sounds do not wash
over or obliterate the live instrument as is
often the case. The imaginative electronic
material stays transparent in texture,
providing an intricate accompaniment.
Variego’s meaty full clarinet sound and
richness of the altissimo register is heard
here to good effect, and notes are always
clearly delineated.
For listeners of new music for clarinet/
electronics, and potential programming
by interested performers, Necessity may
well prove to be an engaging experience
and a valuable resource. The CD booklet
indicates that all works presented here are
available from the composers. The release
is from ALBANY RECORDS, TROY
1189, www.albanyrecords.com.
* * * * *
Recordings of clarinet pedagogical literature have been appearing with increasing frequency in recent years. We can now
find releases by professional players of the
Baermann Method, Opp. 63 and 64, the
Rose 32 Études, the Cavallini Caprices,
the Jeanjean 18 Études and perhaps others. Also in what is generally regarded as
pedagogical territory, we have the Bach
material from Himie Voxman’s Classical
Studies and also his Concert and Contest
Collection of solos.
In 2010 Hal Leonard Publications released a two-disc recording of Voxman’s
Selected Studies played by clarinetist
Kathleen Jones. This is I believe the first
recording of a diverse collection of studies
(there are few in existence), and this is a
logical choice. Selected Studies for Clarinet is an iconic publication which has no
doubt been in the hands of more students in
the U.S. than any other, and which will in
2012 achieve its 70th year in print! (Not its
15
50th as indicated on the CD jacket and disc,
regarding the Rubank copyright date .)
For those (few) who may not know this
book, or have forgotten its structure: The
studies which comprise the bulk of the
publication are collected from some 14
composers, and all, except for one Bach
cello-suite movement, are firmly planted
in 19th-century style . Many of the composers represented here were clarinetists,
such as Müller, Klosé, Kellner, Heinze,
Beer, Rose and Gambaro . There are studies from violinists Kreutzer and Mazas,
flutist Wiedemann, and three others not
known to this writer . The 52 studies which
comprise the bulk of the book present the
player with one lyrical and one technical
challenge in each major and minor key .
While 48 studies would seem to complete
the group, and it was for Bach in his WTC
(who liked the first 48 so much he wrote
another 48), Mr . Voxman includes four
additional studies which are written as Fsharp major and D-sharp minor, the enharmonic equivalent of the preceding G-flat
major and E-flat minor .
Kathleen Jones is the principal clarinetist of the Puerto Rico Symphony (since
1975) and recently retired as the clarinet
professor at the Conservatory of Music of
Puerto Rico, where she was also a member of the conservatory’s resident ensemble Camerata Caribe. She has made several appearances at ClarinetFest®, and her
CDCaribeClarinete received favorable
review in this journal and elsewhere . Her
principal teachers include Mitchell Lurie
and Robert Marcellus .
In addition to the musical challenges
presented here, the size of the project and
its hour and 45 minutes of totally exposed
solo playing is quite daunting . Kathy
Jones believes in the value of this collection of studies (as many of us do) and
clearly shows it through these discs . She
produces a rich, full-bodied tone which
has an even quality throughout the instrument, at its best – very beautiful, and she
exhibits an evenly controlled technique .
Her cover notes tell us that these studies
were recorded without any internal editing
and were done in 13 sessions – whew!
Ms . Jones plays these studies at workable tempi that allow for effective expressive content . The fast studies are played
cleanly with control, and not approached
at breakneck speed – a practical and desirable example for young players . Understandable interpretive differences aside,
the performances are not without a few
warts . There is an occasional sense of
shortage of air to finish a broad phrase effectively, and, while Ms . Jones does some
quite effective contrasts (and dynamics
are relatively interpretive), the dynamic
markings could be more strictly observed .
One inexplicable anomaly occurs in the
slow G-minor Rose study with something
of a rhythmic breakdown in the latter part
of the middle section .
The recorded sound is very good and
mostly consistent, although there are a
few areas in which the clarinet tone thins
(seems like a recording issue), and there
are also areas where sound level output
dips somewhat . Even with careful control,
through 13 sessions and an academic year,
the vagaries of recording and electronics will yield some varying results, not to
mention the player’s ups and downs, and
of course – reeds .
Clarinet students and educators are indeed indebted to Kathleen Jones for this
successful project . While never as important as having a good teacher, many students can benefit from this recording . As
we take note of this release in the clarinet
community (to borrow an old church expression), we may be “preaching to the
choir .” Etudes from the Voxman Selected
Studies are used in many states as audition
material for regional and all-state bands . In
ELECTRONIC PHOTO SUBMISSIONS FOR THE CLARINET
When scanning photos or setting your digital camera to create electronic images for use in the magazine, resolution is a very important consideration. For
high-resolution printing, each photo must include at least 300 pixels per inch
(ppi) at the approximate dimensions anticipated for use. To clarify, photos intended for reproduction at the one-column width should be at least 2.25” wide
and include at least 300 ppi, while photos intended for reproduction at the twocolumn width should be at least 5” wide and include at least 300 ppi. Photos
with inappropriate resolution settings may have to be rejected because they
will reproduce too poorly to use, or they may have to be used at a size smaller
than anticipated in order to maintain their quality.
16
The Clarinet
far too many cases a high school clarinetist
with no teacher and a band director with little time, inclination, or clarinet savvy, has
to audition on this material – often clueless .
Hopefully Hal Leonard is marketing this
production to school band directors .
This release comes in an attractive
gate-fold cover in the familiar red-andgreen color scheme which replicates the
design of Rubank’s original publication .
Available from www .kklarinet .com .
Related note: As I write this column
(May 2011), Himie Voxman resides in
Iowa City, Iowa . His 99th birthday is September 12, perhaps about the time you
read this note . In 2010 a Doctor of Musical Arts Essay entitled “The Life and Career of Himie Voxman” was completed by
Michele Ann Bowen Hustedt at The University of Iowa . It is available online at:
http://ir .uiowa .edu/etd/465 .
* * * * *
RecentArrivals
in search of … Ken Peplowski, clarinet
and tenor saxophone; Shelly Berg,
piano; Tom Kennedy, bass; Jeff Hamilton, drums (trks . 1–9); with Greg
Cohen, bass (trks . 10 & 11); Joe Ascione, percussion (trk . 11) and drums
(trk . 12); and Chuck Redd, vibraphone
(trk . 11) . Twelve tracks of tunes by
Freddie Redd, Tom Kennedy, Shelly
Berg, Rodgers/Hart, Rodgers/Hammerstein, Cy Coleman/David Zippel,
George Harrison, and others . CAPRI
RECORDS 74108-2 . Total time 68:53 .
www .caprirecords .com
Child’s play. Kelly Johnson, clarinet;
Gail Novak, piano; Drew Irvin, violin;
Allison Stanford, narrator . Philip Parker: Merry Music; Grooves; Story Hour;
James M . David: Distrocto; Rodney
Rogers: Dance Duo; Dejan Despić:
Nine Dances, Op . 62; Eric Mandat: The
Moon in My Window. POTENZA MUSIC PM1014 . Total time 64:56 . www .
potenza music .com
FantasiadiConcerto–musicforClarinetin19thCenturybrazil.Fernando
José Silveira, clarinet; Lúcia Barrenechea, piano . Ernesto Cavallini: Souvenir de Linda; A . Carlos Gomes: Air;
José Lino Fleming: Concertino and
Notturno; Sigismund Neukomm: Fantasie; Pompeo Cavallini: Divertimento
Sopra un Tema del Maestro Bellini; Johann W . Kalliwoda: Introdução e Variações, Op . 128 . PÓLO INDUSTRIAL
DE MANAUS OBA 004. Total time
58:41. www.fernandosilveira.com.br
Prism. Mark Simpson, clarinet and basset clarinet; Ian Buckle, piano. Gary
Carpenter: Marking Time; Kenneth
Hesketh: Point Forms (after Kandinsky); Gavin Higgins: Three Broken Love
Songs; Emily Howard: Masquerade;
David Horne: Chime; Patrick Nunn:
Prism; Stephen Pratt: Short Score; Mark
Simpson: Lov(escape); Mark-Anthony
Turnage: Cradle Song. NMC D139. Total time 74:51. www.nmcrec.co.uk
Weber to Tango. Margaret Wilson, clarinet; Gillian Lyons, piano. C. M. von
Weber: Grand Duo Concertant; C.
Saint-Saëns: Sonata; Murray Adaskin:
Vocalise No. 1 for solo clarinet; Joseph
Horovitz: Sonatina; Christa Steenhuyse-Vandevelde: Romance; Dirk
Brossé: Tango Tout Court. Produced by
the artist / MW0110. Total time 64:11.
www.cdbaby.com/cd/margaretwilson
Moments and Days. Alison Wells, mezzo soprano; Ian Mitchell, clarinets.
Andrew Keeling: Pirate Things and
Seule; Luciano Berio: Sequenza III for
female voice; W. O. Smith: Five Fragments for Double Clarinet; Colin Ri-
ley: Passing Places; Geoffrey Poole:
Commodo Dragonfly; Piers Hellawell:
Four Delays; Gaspar Hunt: The Heart’s
Lament; James Stephenson: Remembrance Songs. UH RECORDINGS
LTD. 020011018. Total time 74:29.
www.uhrecordings.co.uk
Partenope. Luca Luciano, clarinet; compositions by Luca Luciano: Rondo’
Contemporaneo; Sequenza #1; Fragment #4; Sequenza #2 in A Minor; Fragment #5; Jazz Impromptu (Homage to
Charles “Bird” Parker). LUCO1 CD.
Total time 29:22. www.lucaluciano.com
Danzi & Taffanel. Soni Ventorum Wind
Quintet: Felix Skowronek, flute; Laila
Storch, oboe; William McColl, clarinet;
Arthur Grossman, bassoon; Christopher Leuba, horn. Franz Danzi: Quintet
in F Major, Op. 68, No. 2 and Quintet
in D Minor, Op. 68, No. 3; Paul Taffanel: Wind Quintet in G Minor. CRYSTAL RECORDS CD251. Total time
65:00. www.crystalrecords.com
Xavier Lefèvre – A Revolutionary Tutor. Colin Lawson, clarinet; Sebastian
Comberti, cello. X. Lefèvre: Clarinet
Sonatas (Nos. 2 in D Minor; 4 in F Major, 6 in C Major; 8 in F Major; 10 in Bflat Major; and 12 in F Major). CLAR-
INET CLASSICS CC0058. Total time
74:36. www.clarinetclassics.com
Derivations. Stephanie Zelnick, clarinet;
University of Kansas Wind Ensemble,
Scott Weiss, conductor. Music of Morton Gould: Fanfare for Freedom; Saint
Lawrence Suite; Jericho Rhapsody;
Derivations for Solo Clarinet and
Band; Symphony No. 4 “West Point.”
NAXOS 8.572629. Total time 62:00.
www.naxos.com
Clarinet Concertos. David Singer, clarinet; A Far Cry Orchestra; The Shanghai
Quartet (Weigang Li and Yi-Wen Jiang,
violins, Honngang Li, viola, and Nicholas Tzavaras, cello. Robert Livingston
Aldridge: Clarinet Concerto: Aaron
Copland: Clarinet Concerto; R. L. Aldridge: Samba. NAXOS 8.559667. Total time 49:44. www.naxos.com
Mauro’s Latin. Mauricio Murcia Bedoya,
clarinet; with guests Diego Rodríguez,
percussion; Diego Rodolfo Guacaneme, tiple and cuatro; Omar Fandiño
‘choco,’ maracas. Thirteen jazz and
Latin duets. Produced by Mauricio
Murcia Bedoya. Total time 38:08.
www.woodwindiana.com
Good Listening!
Weill Music Institute
Master Classes with
the Berlin Philharmonic
Woodwind and Brass Players: Train with members of the woodwind
and brass sections of the Berlin Philharmonic, including Wenzel Fuchs,
principal clarinetist.*
February 23–24, 2012
Application Deadline: November 1, 2011
*US applicants only
Professional Training Workshops are made possible, in part, by Mr. and Mrs. Nicola Bulgari and The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation.
Wenzel Fuchs
Visit carnegiehall.org/workshops or call 212-903-9733 to apply or for more information.
Artists, programs, dates, and ticket prices subject to change. © 2011 CHC.
September 2011
17
Clarimania 2011,
Karol Lipinski Academy
of Music in Wrocław,
Poland
A Report by Timothy Phillips
O
n April 13–16 2011, Clarimania 2011 was held at the Karol
Lipinski Academy of Music in
Wrocław (pronounced vRawts-lahf), Poland . Clarinetist and conductor Jan Jakub
Bokun directed the festival, which was
funded largely by the city of Wrocław
and Henri Selmer Paris . About 130 high
school and college students from Poland,
Spain, Belarus and the Czech Republic
were in attendance . The artist faculty for
the festival included Philippe Berrod (principal clarinetist of the Orchestre de Paris
and newly appointed professor of clarinet
at the Conservatoire National Superieur
de Musique de Paris), Irvin Venyš (Czech
clarinet soloist), Justo Sanz (professor of
clarinet at the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid in Spain), and
the Lisbon Clarinet Quartet .
Clarimania is a biannual event that
focuses on clarinet performance and
pedagogy . This year the festival broadened somewhat, both philosophically and
physically . From a philosophical perspective, the festival included soloists on other
woodwind instruments besides the clarinet
at some of the evening concerts . From a
physical perspective, evening concerts for
the festival were held at various locations
throughout the city of Wrocław . This gave
festival attendees, most of whom were
visitors to the city, a chance to see more of
this beautiful and historically rich location
on their way to evening performances .
Clarimania 2011 began with a Wednesday evening performance of the Academy’s chamber orchestra, conducted by
Jan Jakub Bokun . This concert was titled
Trampolina Mlodych [Trampoline of
Youth] and featured student soloists, as
well as young guest artists . The concert
began with student soloists Sławomir
Zawadzki and Marek Zjawin presenting
sparkling renditions of Felix Mendelsson’s
18
(l to r): Irvin Venyš and Jan Jakub Bokun
two Concert Pieces . This was followed by
a virtuosic performance of the first movement of Erland von Koch’s Concerto
for Saxophone and Strings by Jonathan
Bergeron, the saxophone professor from
Northern Arizona University . Closing the
first half of the concert was Polish saxophonist Paweł Gusnar presenting a light,
spirited version of Astor Piazzolla’s Tango
Ballet for Soprano Saxophone and Strings .
The second half of the concert opened with
Gusnar and Bergeron performing Carl Anton Wirth’s appealing Jephtah for 2 Saxophones and Chamber Orchestra . The concert came to a close with Czech clarinetist
Irvin Venyš delivering a solid memorized
performance of Carl Maria von Weber’s
Second Clarinet Concerto . He received
such appreciation from the audience that
he came back to the stage to perform a
paraphrase of the opening of Gershwin’s
Rhapsody and Blue as an encore .
Thursday morning consisted of a master class by Irvin Venyš where students
of various levels performed works by
Messager, Debussy, Mozart, Kurpinski,
and others . Venyš had a calm, engaging
character in the master class and audible
improvements were made when students
responded to his ideas, particularly with
regard to phrasing . The Thursday afternoon session of Clarimania consisted of a
The Clarinet
lecture recital given by this author, Timothy Phillips, and his colleague T . Adam
Blackstock entitled “North American
Works for Clarinet and Percussion Duo .”
This recital featured works by Traci Mendel, Carl Vollrath, Stephen Chatman and
Nathan Daughtrey .
The Thursday evening concert was
called “Iberomania!” and it featured performances by Justo Sanz and the Lisbon Clarinet Quartet . The concert began
with clarinetist Justo Sanz and pianist
Marek Werpulewski presenting works by
Romero, Menéndez, Sarasate/Baldeyrou,
and Iturralde . Throughout the recital, Sanz
performed with clean technique, a multicolored sound, and a refreshing stylistic
approach . The second half of the recital
began with the concert hall in complete
darkness . Slowly, the lights were turned
on as the Lisbon Clarinet Quartet and their
percussionist made their way to the stage
while playing . The quartet’s portion of the
concert bursted with energy as the group
played many spirited, rhythmic works
with the assistance of conga drums, simplified drum set, and various other percussion instruments . The bass clarinetist of
the group, Lino Guerreiro, had done many
fine arrangements for the quartet and it
was clear that after 22 years of performing
together, these players still relish each mo-
Philippe Berrod and Justo Sanz
The Friday evening performance was
called “Carte Blanche à Philippe Berrod”
and was definitely a highlight of the fourday event . Clarinetist Philippe Berrod,
along with masterful collaborative pianist
Anna Otwinowska-Płaza, opened this performance with a memorable rendering of
Debussy’s Première Rhapsodie . Berrod’s
playing in this piece was light, colorful,
and sometimes playful . This work was
followed by Bruno Mantovani’s fascinating short solo work, Bug . Next, Berrod
performed Gabriel Pierné’s Canzonetta,
Op . 19, followed by Berrod’s tasteful arrangement of Fritz Kreisler’s violin piece,
Schön Rosmarin . Next, Berrod talked
(Photos: Wiktor Rzezuchowski)
ment of their music making . The evening
concluded with jazz department students
Przemysław Walczak and Paweł Lemanski
performing jazz standards with a rhythm
section at the nearby Teatralna Restaurant .
Friday opened with an in-depth master
class with artist Justo Sanz where students
performed works by Widor, Weiner, Sarasate/Baldeyrou, various Polish composers,
and others . Students from intermediate to
advanced levels appreciated Sanz’s various suggestions for performing and practicing . Also, of great use in this class was
his willingness to demonstrate passages
and to play his clarinet with the students .
Friday afternoon featured the first ever
“Estrada Studencka” [Student’s Forum]
in the history of Clarimania . This was an
opportunity for many of the extremely talented students in attendance to perform as
soloists or with chamber ensembles . This
event featured soloists performing works
such as Eric Dolphy’s version of “God
Bless the Child” for Bass Clarinet Solo
(arr . Roget Jannotta), Jorg Widmann’s
Fantasie for Clarinet Solo and Claude
Debussy’s Première Rhapsodie . Various
large chamber ensembles concluded the
Student’s Forum with works such as Richard Strauss’s Serenade, Op . 7 and Aleš
Pavlorek’s Ulet . Immediately following
the Student’s Forum was a lecture on Polish clarinet concertos by talented clarinetist Roman Widaszek . This fascinating lecture highlighted concertos by composers
such as Kurpinski, Szeligowski, Sikorski,
Tansman, Penderecki and others .
Sławomir Zawadzki and Marek Zjawin
September 2011
to the audience about the importance of
feeling free with the instrument and he
explained some small stories from his
own imagination that lead him to his next
work, his own 3 Improvisations for Solo
Clarinet . He next performed a seemingly
effortless, yet elegant version of Francis
Poulenc’s Sonata for Clarinet and Piano .
And he closed the recital with a virtuosic,
singing rendition of Gioachino Rossini’s
Introduction, Theme, and Variations . Near
the end of this work, he performed his
own cadenza, which was a climax of the
recital . After much applause from the audience, Berrod invited a small ensemble
of selected students from each country in
attendance to the stage to accompany him
on the third movement of Alexis Ciesla’s
smooth, catchy Clarinet Concerto . Due
to audience request, this encore was performed twice and it was a stylish conclusion to a superb recital .
Saturday’s activities began with a
master class given by Philippe Berrod .
Students played works by Arnold, Poulenc, Mantovani, Debussy, and others in
the class as Berrod guided them with his
relaxed, conversational teaching style .
Of special interest in this class was Berrod’s discussion of mistakes in various
published editions of Francis Poulenc’s
Sonata for Clarinet and Piano . Berrod
specifically mentioned discussions he had
with his teacher Guy Deplus about probable errors in the clarinet part . This master
class was well attended and Berrod did a
nice job communicating in English, a lan19
guage he admits he is still learning . Saturday afternoon featured a lecture by Justo
Sanz on performing Mozart’s Clarinet
Concerto on an historical clarinet . Justo
demonstrated many passages on a period
clarinet and commented on the genesis of
this work and how this piece has evolved
in recent years .
Clarimania 2011 concluded with an
orchestra concert featuring the work of
Czech composer Ondřej Kukal . Specifically, this concert featured his works Flautiana, Oboina, Fagotissimo, and Clarinettino performed by guest soloists with the
Wratislavia Chamber Orchestra conducted
by Stanislav Vavřínek . With the inclusion
of these works featuring woodwind instruments other than the clarinet as soloist, one
could not help but notice the widening perspective of this festival and the increasing
encouragement of attendees to appreciate
repertoire not only associated with clarinet . The festival came to an end with Irvin Venyš’s dynamic, fiery performance of
Clarinettino with the orchestra .
Congratulations to Jan Jakub Bokun on
his vision for this festival and his wonderful direction of Clarimania 2011!
20
About the Writer…
Timothy phillips is assistant professor
of clarinet at the John M . Long School of
Music at Troy University, president of the
Higher Education Division of the Alabama
Music Educators Association, principal
clarinetist of the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, host of “Clarinet Corner” on Troy University Public Radio, and
a Buffet Crampon USA performing artist .
Iowa Clarinet Day,
Simpson College,
Indianola, IA,
April 2, 2011
A Report by Cynthia Doggett,
Central College
T
he fourth annual Iowa Clarinet
Day, hosted this year by Kariann
Voigts at Simpson College, gathered clarinetists from around the state of
Iowa and the greater Midwest for a day of
master classes, clinics and performances .
Throughout the day’s events guest artist
Michele Gingras affirmed her reputation
as an inspiring pedagogue and an engaging performer . She is known by many
as a performer of Klezmer music so we
were thrilled that, in addition to a master
class and recital, she offered a hands-on
Klezmer workshop for our attendees .
Iowa Clarinet Day officially began at 9
a .m . with a group warm-up session led by
Kariann Voigts (Simpson) and Dr . Gregory
Oakes (Iowa State) . Immediately following
the warm-up session the high school solo
and ensemble clinic began . In this clinic
high school students from around Iowa
performed contest pieces for the faculty in
attendance at Iowa Clarinet Day . Dr . Jesse
Krebs (Truman State University) ran this
session, giving tips to the performers and
inviting comments from faculty such as Dr .
Daniel Sheridan (Winona State, MN), Dr .
Gregory Oakes, Dr . Cynthia Doggett (Central College), Clarence Padilla (Drake University) and Dr . Daniel Friberg (freelance
musician, Minneapolis, MN) and Joyce
Wheeler (Drake University) .
Due to the large number of professional clarinetists joining Iowa Clarinet
Day 2011, the potpourri concert, which
traditionally consists of solo repertoire,
included only music for clarinet quartet
The Clarinet
and quintet . In addition to groups formed
by previously mentioned faculty, members of the Chicago Clarinet Ensemble
(Rose Sperazza, David Tuttle, Christie
Miller and Miguel Hernandez) performed
a quartet entitled Four for Four, by Jorge
Montilla . Dr . Maurita Mead (University of
Iowa) finished the recital with her University of Iowa quartet, performing rousing
selections of Brazilian Choro music .
During the late morning and afternoon
hours Iowa Clarinet Day registrants sampled the products of our sponsors, Buffet,
Rico, Vandoren and Yuan Gao’s Royal
Musical Collection . A new addition to ICD
2011 was a display of historical clarinets
loaned to the event by The Schubert Club
of Minneapolis, MN . Also during this
time a contemporary techniques clinic,
run by Jeremy Wohletz (DMA candidate,
University of Kansas) and Dr . Gregory
Oakes, offered students a chance to learn
multiphonics, flutter tonguing, and even
how to play their clarinet like a Japanese
Shakuhachi! A clarinet choir reading session, conducted by Jesse Krebs, finished
off the afternoon clinics .
Michele Gingras, guest artist recital
Troy University
Clarinet Day
A Report by Useon Choi
T
Greg Oakes, Michele Gingras, Cynthia Doggett on Michele’s guest artist recital
Michele Gingras’ recital, Klezmer
workshop, and traditional master class
filled the late afternoon . It was obvious
that audience members from novice to
professional, both musician and nonmusician, thoroughly enjoyed her performance . Her recital program, entitled “The
Joys of Jewish Music,” brought the listener through a variety of music composed
by Jewish musicians and performed in the
Jewish folk style . She has unquestionably
mastered the stylistic challenges posed
by alternating between the controlled and
sensitive playing necessary in traditional
clarinet repertoire, and the pure abandon
and joy of Klezmer . Her program ended
with Béla Kovác’s Sholem-alekhem, rov
Feidman!, a Klezmer-inspired work for
clarinet and piano which led us eagerly
into instruction in the Klezmer style via
Hava Nagila . Although hearing dozens of
clarinetists practice their glissandi simul-
taneously was not an aural experience I’d
want to repeat soon, the process was fun,
informative, and engaging!
Upon finishing her recital she worked
with three collegiate-level musicians on
standard clarinet repertoire . Michele Gingras’ pedagogical style centers on concepts, equipping students with the tools
applicable to any piece of music . Concepts
such as physical relaxation, tone color, use
of airstream to affect phrasing, and tools
for improved intonation were all skillfully
addressed .
Plans are already underway for the fifth
annual Iowa Clarinet Day in April 2012 .
We are very appreciative of the generous
colleagues who contributed to the event,
and are proud to have such outstanding
student clarinetists in the state of Iowa .
Iowa Clarinet Day would like to thank
Kariann Voigts for her superb work in
hosting the event .
Jesse Krebs conducting the clarinet choir
September 2011
2011
he Fourth Annual Clarinet Day of
2011 held at Troy University in
Alabama progressed into an international clarinet festival this year . Coordinator and host of the event Dr . Timothy
Phillips, clarinet professor at Troy University, showed true professionalism in accommodating guests from different parts
of the world . The guest artists this year
were J . David Harris (clarinet professor at
the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign), Yasmin Flores (clarinet professor at the University of North Alabama),
Alcides Rodgriguez (bass clarinetist of
the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra), Gabor
Varga (principal clarinetist of the Hungarian Radio Orchestra), Wolfgang Lohff
(clarinet technician from Denmark) and
the Busan Clarinet Quartet (Taehoon Kim,
Namyong Hwang, Useon Choi, and Sungkwan Lee) from South Korea . The event
was sponsored by Buffet Crampon, Rico
Reeds, Vandoren, Troy Arts Council, Troy
University, and Troy University’s chapters
of Sigma Alpha Iota and Phi Mu Alpha .
Much like last year, “Clarinet Day”
began with a guest artist master class for
the Troy University Clarinet Studio on
Friday morning . This year, Gabor Varga
led an insightful class where students
performed works by Weber, Hoffmeister,
and Stravinsky . Friday concluded with a
faculty/guest artist recital in the beautiful Claudia Crosby Theater, the largest
hall on campus . On Saturday, both high
school and college students rehearsed in a
massed clarinet choir and attended clinics .
The event concluded with a concert presented for the participants’ parents at the
end of the day .
The Friday evening recital started off
with a great opening piece, La Traviata
by Donato Lovreglio, performed by Yasmin Flores and her pianist Yee Sik Wong .
Next, Timothy Phillips and his colleague
T . Adam Blackstock, percussion professor
at Troy University, gave the premiere performance of Traci Mendel’s Meditation
on the Nature of Kali for clarinet and percussion duo . This work opens with some
unusual sounds created by strumming the
strings of a piano, and then a free sounding clarinet line sings over a steady pat21
(l–r) Yee Sik Wong (pianist), Gabor Varga, Katrina Phillips, Alcides Rodriguez, Yasmin Flores, Timothy Phillips, J. David Harris, Taehoon
Kim, Namyong Hwang, Useon Choi, Sungkwan Lee, T. Adam Blackstock (percussionist)
tern in the vibraphone and piano . This is
an exceptional new work that left the audience somewhat hypnotized . Concluding
the first half of the concert was the Busan
Clarinet Quartet performing Tema de Maria, Viktor’s Tale (featuring Gabor Varga’s
sinewy solo clarinet playing) and Clownery for Clarinets.
The second half of the program started
with an amazing presentation of Béla
Kovács’ Hommages to Manuel de Falla,
Richard Strauss and Béla Bartók by Gabor
Varga . Varga’s playing was clean, sound,
and eminated with virtuosity and interest .
Alcides Rodriguez performed the Andante
et Allegro by Ernest Chausson, which was
also a stylish, first-class performance of a
very technically difficult piece . The finale
of the concert was in the hands of J . David
Harris . His performance of the Sonata for
Clarinet and Piano by Leonard Bernstein,
with pianist Hui-Ting Yang, gave everyone
a textbook example of fine clarinet playing .
Saturday began with a clarinet choir
reading session followed by a master class
by Professor Harris where students played
works by Mozart, Baermann and Arnold .
After lunch, Useon Choi lead a clarinet
choir rehearsal with the high school students in one room while Timothy Phillips conducted a rehearsal with the Troy
University Clarinet Choir and soloists
in another . After the intensive rehearsals, both groups gathered once again for
a class on clarinet maintenance and facts
by Wolfgang Lohff . Lohff’s class covered
the necessity for having one’s clarinet regularly maintained and the vast differences
between a student line and a professional
clarinet . The students loved his talk .
The day concluded with a final rehearsal
of the massed clarinet choir and a master
class from Alcides Rodriguez . Alcides had
lost his voice throughout the course of the
day and he was only able to speak very quietly while teaching his class; yet, the students were so enthralled with his teaching,
you could almost hear a pin drop during
his class . This is a great testament to his
ability to capture a room of students and to
his fine teaching . In his class, he listened to
one student play the first movement of the
Mozart Concerto on a soprano clarinet and
another play Rabaud’s Solo de concours on
the bass clarinet .
The final concert of Clarinet Day was
held in the band rehearsal room, which
was uniquely set with a seating area for
the audience and a performance area for
the groups . This venue proved to be the
perfect space for this concert, where the
guest artists had a chance to interact with
both the students and their guests . The
concert began with a performance by the
Troy University Clarinet Choir . They performed Charles Yassky’s arrangement of
Fourth Annual Troy University
Clarinet Day Final Concert
22
The Clarinet
Mozart’s Overture to the Magic Flute and
an arrangement of Mendelssohn’s Concert
Piece No. 2 featuring the great duo of J .
David Harris and Katrina Phillips . Next,
the Busan Clarinet Quartet performed the
lighthearted Morning of Carnaval by Luiz
Bonfa and Frank Meacham’s American
Patrol, which the audience seemed to really enjoy . This was followed by Alcides
Rodriguez’s masterful performance of
Béla Kovács’s Hommage à Manuel de
Falla on the bass clarinet and Gabor Varga’s colorful rendition of the solo clarinet
Sonata by Tiberiu Olah . What a treat to
watch the audience take in the playing of
these world-class performers!
The concert ended with a performance
of the massed clarinet choir, with the help
of all the guest artists, lead by Timothy
Phillips and Useon Choi . As has become
tradition, the concert concluded with a band
favorite . This year it was quite fittingly the
Hands Across the Sea march by John Philip
Sousa, arranged by Ken Abeling .
The Troy University Clarinet Day is
growing in the world of clarinet conferences, exposing high school clarinetists
to a rich experience and allowing them to
interact with a wide variety of guest artists
from around the world . This event could
not have been so successful without the
enormous efforts and the generous personality of Timothy Phillips and the Troy
University Clarinet Studio . I am enthralled
Participants and guest artists
to find what Troy University Clarinet Day
will present next year!
“Legends Of The
Clarinet” Series
Continues at Wright
State University,
Dayton, Ohio
T
he annual “Legends of the Clarinet” Symposium hosted by Dr .
Randall S . Paul and John Kurokawa at Wright State University (WSU) continued this year with visiting artists-in-residence, Larry Combs and Julie DeRoche
of Chicago, Illinois . The symposium was
held at Wright State University in Dayton,
Ohio, on April 20 and 21, 2011 .
Larry Combs and Julie DeRoche with the orchesra
September 2011
The Symposium began with a “Welcome and Meet the Artists” session where
Combs and DeRoche shared their experiences and answered participants’ questions . This open forum is one of the favorite aspects of the symposium and raised
questions ranging from clarinet equipment
to the secrets of performing professionally . Combs and DeRoche then coached
solo master classes . Master class participants included Jessica Blaza performing
Mazellier’s Fantasie–Ballet and Matthew
Snyder performing Brahms’ Sonata in
E-Flat. Mozart Concerto excerpts were
performed by Sarah Beatrez and Matthew
Snyder . All participants were assisted by
the excellent pianist, Steven Aldridge .
After a lunch break, chamber music
master classes were held where Combs
and DeRoche coached several ensembles,
including a student woodwind trio and the
WSU Chamber Winds .
A master class and lecture regarding
“Practice Tips and /or the Mechanics of
Mistakes” was presented by Dr . Daniel
Paprocki . Paprocki shared and demonstrated numerous practice techniques,
which were also detailed in a handout .
The culmination of the symposium was
a formal concert by Larry Combs and Julie DeRoche . Pre-concert music was provided by the Bellbrook High School Clarinet Choir, under the direction of Barbara
Siler . Their delightful performance entertained the crowd to hearty applause prior
to entering the concert hall .
The concert began with Mozart’s Divertimento from Don Giovanni, arranged
by Rainer Schottstadt for two clarinets in
A and basset clarinet . The trio performance
included Julie DeRoche and Randall Paul
on clarinet in A, with Larry Combs on
basset clarinet . The first half of the concert ended with Andrzej Anweiler’s Di23
versions for Two Clarinets, performed by
Larry Combs and Julie DeRoche .
The grand finale of the concert was
the performance of Franz Krommer’s
Concerto in E-Flat Major, Op . 91 for two
clarinets and orchestra . Larry Combs and
Julie DeRoche were joined by the Wright
Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Dr .
Jackson Leung, for the performance . The
performance, which ended a spectacular
concert, was met with a standing ovation .
This symposium at Wright State University has provided participants throughout the Midwest with an opportunity to
personally experience the talent and wisdom of legendary clarinetists like Larry
Combs and Julie DeRoche (2011), Stanley
and Naomi Drucker (2010) . This series
is made possible by the generous funding and support of Val P . Hattemer, Mike
Getzin and the WKA, and the numerous
other Clarinet Studio Donors .
Clarinetopia 2011
A Report by Michael Webster
C
larinetists from as far away as Utah
and as near as Long Island assembled for the third annual Clarinetopia at Stony Brook University between
June 22 and 26, 2011 . Faculty members
Caroline Hartig, Alan Kay, Charles Neidich, Michael Webster and flutist Leone
Buyse heard all of the student performers
in master classes and recitals and offered
talks on topics of interest, such as contemporary techniques, effective practicing,
the musculature of breathing and audition
preparation . There was also a mock audition with a short list of standard excerpts .
Students ranging in age from 15 to–
let’s say gray-haired–arrived on Wednesday and congregated at The Reed Table,
where Michael Webster demonstrated
techniques of making and adjusting reeds .
The opening faculty recital featured Caroline Hartig, Alan Kay, Michael Webster
and Leone Buyse in music of Mozart,
Kovács, Larsen, Weber, Rossini and
Brahms, with the expert collaboration of
pianists Teddy Robie and Anna Vinnitsky,
who also accompanied the student master
classes and the two student recitals . A catered welcome dinner allowed all of the
participants to meet and greet each other .
Each day began with communal yoga
sessions and warm-ups and ended with a
special event . On Thursday, The Ander24
Clarinetopia faculty and participants
(photo: Mike Getzin)
son Twins Sextet played an evening of big
band jazz, featuring arrangements by both
Will and Peter of tunes made famous by
Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw and others .
Will wailed on the Artie Shaw Concerto,
with Pete joining in to compete on who
would reach the high C at the end . Four of
New York’s finest freelancers filled out the
sextet on piano, drums, bass, and trumpet
for an evening of non-stop excitement . You
can check out the twins at www .anderson
twinsjazz .com .
Clarinetopia also had some welcome
visitors on Thursday . Chris Coppinger and
Fred Weiner brought a display of Buffet
clarinets from Fred’s store, and Wojtek
Komsta, one of the area’s finest repair
technicians, set up shop in Alan’s studio .
He was besieged all day with students
needing repairs and adjustments, all of
them leaving happy with his work .
The Friday evening special event was
a free evening! Participants chose from
having a special dinner off campus, practicing, playing in spontaneous clarinet ensembles, etc .
On Saturday, Charles Neidich began
his day in Quebec City, flew to NYC,
took the Long Island railroad and arrived
around 6:45 p .m . at the campus where he
The Clarinet
used to teach students–including Caroline
Hartig . The reason his day was so compressed was that he filled in on short notice
for founding Clarinetopia faculty member
Stephen Williamson, who had gracefully
bowed out due to winning the principal
clarinet position in the Chicago Symphony
and suddenly having to move his family .
Charlie gulped down a sandwich, changed
his clothes, and started the 7:00 recital and
master class about 20 minutes late .
His program was as varied as could be:
Poulenc Sonata, a remarkable sonata by
Mieczyslav Weinberg (op . 28, 1945), a Polish/Soviet composer unjustly neglected,
his own Threnos (2005) for clarinet solo,
and St . Saëns’ Introduction and Rondo
Capriccioso, played in the original key
and register of the violin . Amazing! The
ensemble playing was magnificent and no
one would have guessed that he and Anna
Vinnitsky had had only one rehearsal two
weeks previously! For the master class, he
asked me to be timekeeper, but invariably
had so much information to impart that
the event lasted until just past 11:00 p .m .!
After a long day of travel, his supply of
energy seemed endless .
The following morning he joined Leone
and me for the traditional student/faculty
round table, an open discussion about any
topics in which the students are interested .
In 2010, nearly the entire round table focused on preparing for the job market, but
this year, technical issues came to the fore .
Charlie explained and demonstrated how
he adjusts his embouchure to find nodes
on the reed . This technique allows him
to locate partials above the standard 9th
partial in order to play a work such as the
St . Saëns in the super altissimo register
without a lot of embouchure pressure . Afterwards, we rushed him back to the LIRR
to head back to NYC and then enjoyed the
final event–the second of the two student
recitals, followed by a small farewell reception . As always, we thank Alan Kay and
Michael Hershkowitz for making the Stony
Brook facilities available for Clarinetopia .
Chicago Clarinet
Ensemble: “Careers
and Premieres” at
Northeastern
Illinois University
T
he Chicago Clarinet Ensemble presented a concert and master class
that featured clarinet legends Stanley and Naomi Drucker on May 27 and 28
at Northeastern Illinois University . The
two-day event was attended by more than
250 people and was sponsored by Northeastern Illinois University, Buffet Crampon and Vandoren, Inc .
The concert, entitled Careers and Premiere, was conducted by John Bruce Yeh
and included a dazzling performance of
Mendelssohn’s Concert Pieces, Opp .113
and 114 arranged for clarinet ensemble
and soloists . The Drucker’s delivered a
stunning and virtuosic performance . The
Chicago Clarinet Ensemble with Stanley and Naomi Drucker
as soloists on Mendelssohn’s Concert Pieces .
John Bruce Yeh is conducting.
program also featured a premiere of Eric
Mandat’s Pursuits of Happiness which
was commissioned by Rose Sperrazza, associate professor of clarinet at Northeastern Illinois University . The new work is a
three-movement sextet for one E-flat, three
B-flat sopranos, one basset horn, and one
bass clarinet . It was premiered by John
Yeh, Stanley and Naomi Drucker, Teresa
Reilly, Rose Sperrazza and David Tuttle .
Other premieres included Edward Yadzinski’s Hasty Fragments for clarinet and
narrator premiered by Eric Mandat, Steve
Cohen, Stanley Drucker, KT Somero, David Tuttle, Rose Sperrazza, David Gould,
John Bruce Yeh and Naomi Drucker . The
final premiere of the evening was an interesting work by Jeff Kowalkowski for clarinet ensemble and synthesizer entitled ruth,
rubric-rational; realisms-relationals .
The master class on May 28 focused on
“The Orchestral Clarinetist .” Performers
were Miguel Hernandez of Northeastern
Illinois University; Amanda Eich of University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign;
and Andrew Hudson and Rebecca Graham
of Northwestern University .
The Chicago Clarinet Ensemble was
founded in 2007 by Rose Sperrazza and
is currently in residence at Northeastern
Illinois University in Chicago, Illinois .
Visit www .chicagoclarinetensemble .org
to learn about upcoming concerts and
events . Both events can be accessed in the
archives at www .banddirector .com .
(l–r) John Bruce Yeh, Teresa Reilly, David Tuttle, Rose Sperrazza, Naomi Drucker,
Stanley Drucker (photos: Laura Hamm)
September 2011
25
(All Photos by Deborah Check Reeves)
by
Deborah
Check Reeves
Photo 2
NMM 99002 Patent
C-sharp Key
Photo 4
NMM 1899 Signature
“Historically Speaking” is a feature
of The Clarinet offered in response to numerous inquiries received by the editorial
staff about clarinets. Most of the information will be based on sources available at
the National Music Museum, located on
The University of South Dakota campus
in Vermillion (orgs.usd.edu/nmm). Please
send your e-mail inquiries to Deborah
Check Reeves at [email protected].
I
Photo 1
NMM 99002 P.X.
Laube Albert
System Clarinet
26
Photo 3
NMM 1899 P.X.
Laube Boehm
System Clarinet
n an ad from January of 1929, the
Cundy-Bettoney Company stated that
“there is a Bettoney-made clarinet in a
finish for every taste and at a price for every purse .” With this proclamation, three
different models of silver clarinets were
listed: the Silva-Bet, the Boston Wonder,
and the P .X . Laube . A pricelist from November 1, 1928, noted the P .X . Laube was
the “best low-priced American all-metal
clarinet” and that it was the “favorite
metal clarinet of young clarinetists .” Of
the three models offered in early 1929, the
P .X . Laube was the lowest priced . It was
offered in two fingering systems: Albert
and Boehm . The line appears to have been
short-lived, with a cessation of advertising
of the model by February 1933 .
Five P .X . Laube clarinets are among
the collections of clarinets at the National
Music Museum . Two are model number
S398X with Albert System fingering . Both
of these clarinets, NMM 5025 and 99002,
are one-piece models finished in a satin
silver plate . (Photo 1: NMM 99002 P.X.
Laube Albert System Clarinet.) Both have
13 keys with four rings . Both have patent
The Clarinet
Photo 5
NMM 1899 Patent
Indication
c-sharp keys . (Photo 2: NMM 99002 Patent C-sharp Key.)
NMM 1899, 1932 and 6015 are
Boehm-System clarinets, model S318X .
Like their Albert System counterparts, all
three Boehm system clarinets are in onepiece with silver plated finish . All three
instruments have the standard Boehm 17
keys and six rings . (Photo 3: NMM 1899
P.X. Laube Boehm System Clarinet.)
All five clarinets are engraved with
the following signature: REG. U.S. / P.X.
LAUBE / PAT. OFF. (Photo 4: NMM 1899
Signature.) All five clarinets are also engraved with PAT. PENDING. (Photo 5:
NMM 1899 Patent Indication.) The patent
pending indication is for US patent number 1,705,634 that was issued in 1929 .
This mark helps date the manufacture of
the clarinet to 1928 or 1929 .
The three Boehm System clarinets also
have Bettoney’s patented forked E-flat/Bflat device that made for easy A-flat to
B-flat trills . This device was patented in
1916 (US patent number 1,200,578 .) (See
The Clarinet “Historically Speaking” Vol .
37 Number 2, page 23 .)
There appears to be some misunderstanding about the name “P .X . Laube .”
The New Langwill Index: A Dictionary
of Musical Wind-Instrument Makers and
Inventors states that “P .X . Laube” was a
trade name employed by a New York musical instrument importer and dealer, the
Progressive Musical Instrument Corporation . Although the other trade names associated with this firm may be correct, “P .X .
Laube” was clearly a model made and offered by the Cundy-Bettoney Company .
A Manuscript
Comes Home
I
t’s not often that an important clarinet
manuscript comes up for sale—but
one did a couple of weeks ago at Bonham’s, the famous auction house situated
on London’s Bond Street . The manuscript
in question was Malcolm Arnold’s Second
Clarinet Concerto—a work that has very
special resonances with me . I’ve played
and taught it many times, perhaps most
memorably, working on it with the eightyear-old Julian Bliss for a performance in
Huddersfield to which Sir Malcolm himself came along in 1997 .
Malcolm wrote the concerto (in 1974)
whilst living in Ireland . It was a turbulent time in his life . His second wife had
left him and he was suffering from acute
mental health problems which ultimately
culminated in a serious suicide attempt .
During this extremely difficult period he
was lucky enough to have a very dedicated doctor, Robin Benson, who looked
after him with great devotion, often well
beyond the call of duty . When Malcolm
finally left Monkstown to return to England and spend, on and off, virtually the
next three years in hospitals of one sort
or another, he decided to give Dr . Benson
a rather special gift . “Dear Robin, your
kindness is so much appreciated . This is
the original manuscript of a piece which
has been so beautifully bound in Dublin .
Please thank you for yourself and accept
this useless present .” The useless present
was, of course, Malcolm’s handwritten
score of the Second Clarinet Concerto.
Thirty-seven years later the family obviously decided to sell the manuscript and
it appeared as Lot 93 at a sale of Books,
Maps, Manuscripts and Historical Photographs on March 22 . I wasn’t able to go
to the sale myself but there were clearly
some very interested parties . At the event,
and to my great delight, it was bought by
Sir Malcolm’s daughter, Katherine . The
manuscript had come home again .
I was very excited when Katherine invited me round to have a look at it . I was
keen to know if there were any of those
famous penknife scratchings occasionally
found in Malcolm’s manuscripts . Was there
to be any evidence of changes of mind?
Were any notes in the Pre-Goodman Rag
the result of second thoughts? Malcolm virtually always wrote straight into full score
and in ink . He composed inside his head,
28
by Paul Harris
me
The bound volu
The famous cadenza
The Clarinet
The first page of the first
The first page
movement
of the “Pre-Goo
dman Rag”
he neither used the piano (or any other instrument) and rarely made sketches . If any
changes were to be made (and there were
very few throughout his entire life’s work)
he would use a penknife to scratch out the
wrong note and re-ink in the right one .
I arrived at Katherine’s house in north
London and was very quickly ushered into
her study where on the desk sat the score .
Malcolm’s allusion to it having been
beautifully bound was quite accurate . The
binding is in a lovely and luxurious reddybrown leather with gold lettering on the
front . I opened the pages with great anticipation and a real thrill . The writing was,
as ever, neat and very clear . I turned the
pages one by one, hearing the music come
alive in my mind — sometimes it was the
Benny Goodman performance (which
I know well through a recording of his
premiere at St . John’s Smith Square) and
sometimes it was Julian’s who has often
played it with great enthusiasm .
I was not too surprised to find very little
in terms of alterations . I searched through
the score three or four times looking very
carefully for those tell-tale markings .
There were one or two but nothing to give
the impression that Malcolm had had any
serious changes of mind . I found just two
instances of penknife activity . In the first
movement, 15 bars after letter F, a crescendo mark, followed in the next bar by a
diminuendo had been disposed of, and in
the third movement, from three bars after
J the slur was originally extended until the
end of the phrase . Otherwise the work is
entirely as we know and love it .
What of the other manuscripts of Malcolm’s clarinet works? The Clarinet Sonatina is held by the Royal College of Music
in London and they occasionally have it
out on display . But both the manuscript of
the Fantasy and of the First Clarinet Concerto are presently lost . We can only hope
that one day they will re-emerge .
The Clarinet
Publication Schedule
The magazine is usually mailed
during the last week of February,
May, August and November. Delivery time within North America
is normally 10–14 days, while
airmail delivery time outside of
North America is 7–10 days.
September 2011
29
Studying Articulation
in Depth
O
ver the past year we have discussed teaching articulation from
the earliest lessons, developing
a good attack, starting phrases with precision, clearing up the articulated sound,
and appreciating the value of the short
staccato . To delve into the subject a little
deeper, this column will emphasize perfecting the staccato, understanding the
value of the clipped note, phrasing through
short notes, and achieving a well-matched
articulation through the registers .
AcquiringShortStaccato–
Let’sGetSpecific
Developing a short staccato is one of our
most important endeavors, because it allows so much variety of articulated sound .
That is, if one can play a short staccato on
every note in the range at any dynamic,
one can easily choose to play longer notes
if the music demands it . This approach
gives the player many lengths of articulation to choose from, which can only enhance musicality .
The Pedagogy
Corner
by Larry Guy
But as we all know, a good short staccato takes some diligence to acquire . The
player learns to clip the end of notes by
returning the tongue to the reed while
continuing to blow behind the tongue, all
the while keeping the embouchure firmly
in place . Start by saying “toot” a number
of times at a slow tempo (about one per
second), and keep air pressure at the front
of the mouth, right behind the tongue,
between repetitions . Now duplicate that
feeling with the clarinet in the mouth: start
with the tongue on the reed, build up some
air pressure behind the tongue, release the
tongue and play open G half-notes . Stop
the notes by putting the tongue back on
the reed, and continue to blow during the
rests between notes . While the tongue is
on the reed, the air pressure builds up behind it, the embouchure stays firm, and
the back of the mouth stays free and open .
The result: notes that are “stopped” or
“clipped”, as in Example #1, below . When
half notes have been mastered, proceed to
quarter notes and eighth notes .
The late, great Kalmen Opperman devised a warm-up of short notes that I give
to moderately advanced students to develop
the coordination required for a good short
staccato . Mr . Opperman called it “First
Notes,” because he advocated playing it at
the beginning of lessons and practice sessions, and it is the perfect way to acquire
and maintain a good-sounding short staccato . The coordination required is complex,
so playing it is a little like jumping into the
deep end of the pool—no time for putting
one toe into the water! I play it forte with
students to learn the technique, and later,
request that it be played softer, which is
Air~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Example#1. Open G half Notes, Quarter Notes, and Eighth Notes
Example#2. Kalmen Opperman’s First Notes
30
The Clarinet
Example #3. Phrasing Through Short Notes
Example #4. Stopping the Air between Short Notes
more demanding. I’ve included three scales
in Example #2, bottom of page 30; for the
whole sequence, see The Daniel Bonade
Workbook, published by Rivernote Press.
Phrasing Through Short Notes
There are two advantages in keeping steady
air pressure as one plays short notes: first,
speed becomes possible, and second, one
is able to show a musical direction even
through the silences between notes. Giving a directional quality to the notes allows
us to make an effective phrase through a
group of short notes. To help students un-
derstand this concept, I have them play
five-note sequences like the ones in Example #3, top. The slurred exercise is easy,
the articulated one less so, but should give
a similar musical effect. The air pressure
remains steady, including when the tongue
is on the reed, and the crescendo must be
quite audible into the sforzando.
This concept is in direct opposition to
the frequently encountered tendency stop
the air between short notes (also known as
“puffing”), which renders any sense of direction to the phrase nearly impossible, as
in Example #4, above.
In fact, I tell my students that when
the air stops, the phrase stops! So in Ex-
ample #4, one has played five meaningless
phrases, each consisting of one note!
This understanding is crucial to the
successful execution of the passage from
Scheherazade in Example #5, just one of
countless passages from the standard repertoire that benefits from this approach.
Other Uses for the Clipped Note
Once the student understands how to clip
a note, all sorts of rhythmic figures, especially rhythms off the beat, can be played
more accurately. For example, if one starts
a passage off the beat, I ask students to begin by observing a four-part sequence discussed in earlier columns: 1) form the embouchure, 2) put the tip of the tongue on
the reed, 3) feel the air behind the tongue,
and finally, release the sound. This helps
put the first note of a passage in exactly
the right spot, and takes the guesswork
out of executing the musical notation. The
student immediately has “better rhythm!”
Example #5. Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade
Example #6. 16th Starting Notes Off the Beat
September 2011
31
Example #7. Incorporating Clipped Notes in a Passage
Example #8. Exercise Adapted from Klosé
I sometimes remind the student of this sequence by marking a “T” (as in “tongue on
the reed”) over the rest before the notes begin. See Example #6, bottom of page 31.
The next step is to incorporate this idea
within a passage already running. For example, in the second bar of Example #7,
top, the tongue should be on the reed before the first 16th note off the beat – it will
have been placed there if the note before it
has been clipped! During the silence, the
embouchure stays firm and the air stays
behind the tongue, ready for action. This
exercise is similar to one found in the Rubank Advanced Method, Book #1.
Transitioning from Short
Staccato to Longer Notes
Earlier I mentioned that if one can play
short notes, one can easily transition to
longer ones, but playing longer notes,
after having learned short staccato, takes
some mindfulness.
For example, in the “First Notes” exercise (see Example #2), I ask students
to play it forte at first, to become familiar
with the technique. However, in music, one
rarely plays a succession of very short, loud
notes, and I think it is important to remind
students of this; otherwise, he or she might
“push the envelope” a little too often.
I also remind students that “staccato”
means “detached” or “separated;” not necessarily “short” which brings to mind the
variety of note-lengths one can achieve. As
one transitions to longer notes, I emphasize
an awareness of the beginning of the note;
one can have a well-defined articulation
without clipping the ends of notes. This
longer type of staccato is of great value and
should be employed often. Example #8,
above, is an exercise (adapted from Klosé)
that I give my students. I call it “marcato
articulation,” because the beginnings of the
notes are well-marked, whereas the ends
are hardly thought of at all!
I recommend this kind of articulation
for scale passages, found so frequently in
the works of Weber, and when it moves
more quickly, I call it “running articulation.” There should be no sense of clipping the ends of the notes, since that usually gives a “sticky” quality to the sound.
Avoid the tendency to make a sound that
mimics the shape of the little “staccato”
dots under or over the notes! Everyone
will recognize this passage from Weber’s
Concertino, which should not employ
clipped notes, but rather an awareness of
the clarity of the beginning of the articulated notes in Example #9, below.
Evenness and Reliability
Through the Registers
A well-matched articulation through the
registers is highly desirable, and its acquisition is often overlooked. Too often I
have heard ambitious students with goodsounding articulation in the chalumeau
and clarion registers whose quality deteriorates as they ascend into the altissimo.
I remember as a high school player
many years ago asking my band director,
Anton Peshek, how to improve my articulation. His advice was simple and helpful:
“Practice articulating everything.” This
approach certainly got my tongue moving, but I was still dissatisfied with my
articulated sound and speed in the upper
register, so purchased a book, now long
out of print, called The Secret to Rapid
Tongue and Finger Technique. The title
was irresistible. As soon as I opened the
Example #9. Running Articulation: an Excerpt from Weber: Concertino
32
The Clarinet
book, I was disappointed that the author,
Gerald Coward, did not divulge the secret in so many words, but instead wrote
a very short explanation of how to play
the many brief exercises in all registers for
the development of this elusive goal. The
“secret” was to practice the exercises over
and over, to the point of [mild] fatigue! Although I’m sure the book helped improve
my speed, its biggest contribution was to
help improve my evenness and reliability
through the registers, and so I give some of
the exercises, altered a bit, to my students.
Becoming aware of how the tongue
touches the reed, and the exact spot on
the reed it touches, is of great importance.
One works for a consistency in returning
to the same spot on the reed, and using the
same spot of the tongue, no matter where
the notes are located or how fast one
plays. Start this awareness of the tongue’s
position on the reed before the first note,
and then be sure the tongue returns to this
exact spot each time thereafter.
This watchfulness is especially helpful
as one ascends from the top of the clarion
register into the altissimo, and as one begins to tire – be sure the tongue does not
move differently, and does not change its
“arrival spot” on the reed. Play each exercise over a number of times, until one
begins to tire, then rest for a few seconds
and go to the next exercise. Do not play to
the point of exhaustion! For our purposes,
we will omit the slurs and accents. See Example #10, below.
The Tone of the Articulation: Troubleshooting
As the student learns to clip notes, sometimes the tone quality will not be as good
as when the notes are slurred. We have
touched upon this in earlier articles, but it
is worth reiterating that perhaps the three
most common trouble areas are the tip of
the tongue, the back of the mouth, and tension in the shoulders. We remember that
the goals are a small amount of tongue
touching the reed and a free, open back of
the mouth, but some may ask how tension
in the shoulders affects the quality of the
articulation. Remember Robert Marcellus’
comment: “We talk on the reed.” With this
in mind, read a sentence with the shoulders down and relaxed, and while continuing to read, raise and tense up the shoulders. Note the resulting difference in your
speaking voice. This is similar to the effect
of tight shoulders to articulated sound.
Lower Lip Relief
Some students complain about a sore
lower lip due to insufficient lip firmness,
sharp lower teeth, or the result of many
hours of daily practice. (Bless them!).
During the time students need to build up
their lip muscles, I have a solution that offers the lower lip some protection from
the onslaught of teeth pressure: florist’s
tape. A roll of it costs about $3 and lasts
for years. Made of thin paper covered with
wax, it comes in white, red and green varieties. I use white but some of my students
are particularly fond of green. Unwrap
about ½ inch of it and fold over four times,
making a five-ply piece. Cut with scissors
to a size that will cover the front two lower
teeth. Although cumbersome in the mouth
at first, it adheres to itself and to the teeth,
and will fit snugly in just a few minutes.
Make three or four pieces and use each for
only 5-10 minutes for the first few days;
otherwise they can shred. After a week or
so, one piece can be used for hours daily
and if properly broken in, will last for a
few months. If the tape is small enough,
it won’t get in the way of tongue action.
Alternative Terms Department
We have all heard teachers exhorting their
students to “use more air!” and I daresay
most of us have used that expression a
few times, but is it always what we mean?
Surely we are not always asking for more
quantity of air – usually we want to hear
a more intense, focused tone. But we find
ourselves requesting “more air” because
the student’s sound may be undernourished, the response foggy, the intervals
pale, or the dynamics limited. Students, on
the other hand, often have difficulty sensing exactly how much air they are using:
after all, it is tasteless, invisible, and odorless! Not so easy to get a grip on! But the
lower lip can sense the vibrancy of the reed
with accuracy and can tell whether, in the
course of a phrase, the vibrancy lets up or
gets weak at some moments. Of course,
vibrancy is caused by air, coupled with
an embouchure that is firm enough to engage the reed. That “engagement spot” is
specific: the lower lip’s touch-spot on the
reed. Staying aware of the reed’s ongoing
vibrancy at that spot, especially between
notes, will ensure that the air keeps moving
and the embouchure pressure is consistent.
The result is usually a rich, healthy sound.
Correspondence from All Over
Melanie Wong, currently studying with
Dr. Robert Spring at Arizona State University, tells us of a method of ensuring
that one stays aware of the use of the ab-
Example #10. From The Secret to Rapid Tongue and Finger Technique
September 2011
33
dominal, side, and back muscles in the
quest for perfect air support . A technique
she learned at a master class hosted by
DanGilbertinvolves tying a flexible cord
or elastic band around the waist, feeling
the expansion of the band while inhaling,
and then, during the exhale, staying aware
of the muscles’ firmness against it . This
ensures that the player keeps the breathing low in the torso and continues to support the sound through the entire exhale .
A laptop power cord would seem to be the
perfect tool, and it is always at hand . paul
Chang demonstrates, below .
Example#11.
Another Use for the Power Cord
Stephen poppel, a talented amateur
player from New York, relates that the
air should be so strong and steady behind the tongue, and the tongue pressure
so light, that at the moment of attack, the
air “blows the tongue off the reed .” The
air pressure is built up behind the tongue
until one can sense a “tipping point,” the
precise moment the tongue gives way to
the pressure of the air . I find these to be
helpful descriptions, and use them with
my students .
Analogiesunlimited
Among pupils past and present, my analogies seem to have acquired some notoriety
– I have become accustomed to seeing students gaze heavenward while strange little
smiles creep onto their faces as I start a
sentence with, “It’s like a…“ Nevertheless, I persevere, certain that one of these
references will eventually result in a flash
of enlightenment . A current analogy concerns the relative jobs of the air stream,
tongue, and embouchure as they work
together to produce good articulation . I
start with a demonstration of repeated
articulations on one note, which gives us
a situation to analyze: we will look into
the use of the tongue, air, and embouchure
in this example . I liken it to three friends
who have embarked on a long trip by car .
One person is driving, one person is sitting next to the driver with a map in hand,
giving directions, and one friend is lolling
in the back seat smoking . His only job is
to see that the ashes of his cigarette land
in the ash tray, which he does with a small
flick of his finger . Who is the driver? Who
is in the passenger seat holding the map?
And who is that lazy person in the back
seat with only one tiny job to do? The answer, of course, is the air stream (primary
job), embouchure (directing the air), and
tongue (tiny, repetitive job) . And although
they are doing very different activities,
they are all in the car together, driving to
their destination (the arrival point of the
phrase) . I caution students to keep this
analogy in the back of the mind, not up
front, while playing!
RecommendedReading
The Inner Voice, by Renee Fleming . Published by Viking Press . 222 pages . Sub-titled The Making of a Singer, this book by
the great American soprano offers aspiring clarinetists valuable lessons in at least
two areas . First, she describes the kind of
work ethic and resourcefulness needed to
achieve success in our highly competitive
field, and second, she discusses technical issues essential to good wind playing:
detailed descriptions of support, voicing,
resonance, and tonal clarity, all of which
shed light onto our own inquiries .
Due to the success she has achieved,
Ms . Fleming’s fans would indulge her if
this book simply chronicled one triumph
after another, leavened with a few amusing stories . Instead, she has given us
something very different: a focus on the
arduous task of overcoming obstacles,
many of which seem daunting to young
musicians . Educators will find Ms . Fleming’s description of her relationship to her
main teacher, Beverley Johnson, as well as
comments about the contributions made
by other teachers, mentors, and colleagues
to be of interest and value . Generouslydetailed, well-written, and down-to-earth,
this book is of lasting value to all ambitious
musicians . Highly recommended .
About the Writer…
LarryGuy is professor of clarinet at New
York University and Vassar College, and
teaches at the MAP Program at the Juilliard
School and the Precollege Division of the
Manhattan School of Music in New York .
He is the author of six textbooks for clarinetists, and has produced three educational
CDs for Boston Records showcasing the
artistry of Daniel Bonade, Ralph McLane
and Mitchell Lurie . He welcomes your
input on any pedagogic concept you may
be willing to share . If your idea is chosen
to be included in an upcoming “Pedagogy
Corner” article, you will be given credit .
E-mail him at Lguy551856@aol .com .
Visit the International
Clarinet Association on
the World Wide Web:
www.clarinet.org
34
The Clarinet
2012 COMPOSITION COMPETITION
Bass Clarinet and Piano
Eligibility: The competition is open to composers, clarinetists, and musicians who desire to further the
repertoire of the clarinet with an original composition.
Application: Send materials postmarked no later than October 15, 2011 to:
2012 I.C.A. Composition Competition
Eric Mandat, Coordinator
School of Music, Mailcode 4302
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
1000 S. Normal Ave., Carbondale, Il 62901
Studio (618) 453-5828; Fax (618) 453-5808; E-mail: [email protected]
CoNtESt RUlES
I.
Application fee: $50 US. Make amount payable to the I.C.A. in U.S. currency by bank check, money
order, or credit card only. If paying by credit card, please use the credit card payment form, which can
be downloaded from the Composition Competition page on www.clarinet.org. The application fee is
non-refundable.
II. The 2012 Composition Competition call is a piece for bass clarinet and piano, at least 10 minutes
in length. The submitted work must have no prior performances. A score and clarinet part must be
provided. A MIDI realization of the work is optional.
III. A permanent address, telephone number and e-mail address should be provided.
JUDgINg
A committee having no knowledge of the contestant will conduct the judging of scores and parts. Do
not include any identification on the scores and parts or the optional MIDI realization. E-mail or a letter of
notification by January 15, 2012 will announce the winner. The winning composition will receive a world
premiere performance during ClarinetFest® 2012, August 1-5, 2012 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Travel expenses
will be the responsibility of the winner. Free registration at ClarinetFest® 2012 will be provided. If the
winner is a clarinetist, he/she must be a member of the I.C.A.
Past first-prize winners are not eligible to compete. All contestants will accept the decision of the
judges as final. The I.C.A. will provide the performers for the premiere performance.
All scores and parts will become the property of the I.C.A. Research Center at the University of
Maryland Performing Arts Library and will not be returned.
PRIzE
$1,000 Prize
The I.C.A. assumes no tax liability that competition winners may incur through receiving prize money.
Individuals are responsible for investigating applicable tax laws and reporting prize winnings to requisite
government agencies.
September 2011
35
by Kellie Lignitz and Rachel Yoder
Streaming Video
W
e have written extensively
about YouTube in past Clarinet Cache columns, but we
haven’t mentioned much about other
places to view clarinet videos on the Web.
YouTube is just one of many ways to share
and search video online. YouTube is just
one of many ways to share and search
video on the Web; also, live video streaming is becoming increasingly popular as
the technology improves. For this column,
we’d like to explore some places clarinetists may want to visit to view streaming
video on the Web.
InstantEncore
InstantEncore is a streaming video and
audio sharing site designed with classical
musicians in mind. Ideal for performing
artists, ensembles, and composers as a way
to share their music, InstantEncore also
makes social networking easy for musicians who aren’t Web savvy by coordinating YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and website updates in one place. Classical music
fans can easily search the site for videos
and audio by genre, composer, instrument,
artist name, etc. As the site is focused on
classical music, content is easier to sort
through and generally higher-quality than
that found on YouTube. Also, InstantEncore videos tend to have more complete
information about artists and works than
other video sharing sites, which often
leave out crucial facts like movement
numbers, conductors or performers.
Chamber music seems to be the most
well-represented genre on this site. Clarinetist José Franch-Ballester is featured in
several videos with the Camerata Pacifica,
performing movements from Beethoven’s
Quintet for Piano and Winds Op. 16 and
Harbison’s Wind Quintet. There is also
quite a bit of new music, including works
with multimedia and electronics. Clarinetists may also be interested in the videos
of symphonic works performed by ensem36
bles such as the Chicago Symphony and
the New York Philharmonic.
The videos generally tend to be excerpts
or single movements, but many complete
works can be found in the audio section
of the site. InstantEncore has a nice player
for streaming audio that allows you to
queue up a playlist of recordings – we recommend Charles Neidich’s recording of
Stravinsky’s Three Pieces, Bil Jackson’s
recording of Kevin Puts’s Clarinet Concerto with the Aspen Chamber Symphony,
and David Shifrin’s performances of Bernstein’s Sonata and Bartók’s Contrasts.
Universities have even begun to use the
site to promote their music schools, with
tracks such as the Cleveland Institute of
Music’s “New Music Series Highlights
Fall 2010.”
InstantEncore also allows a local or national search for upcoming and past chamber concerts. There is some advertising on
the site, but the sleek interface minimizes
the obtrusiveness of the ads (and they presumably have to pay the Web developers
somehow!). Hopefully this site will continue to grow as a destination for classical music listening and networking on
the Internet.
Live Streaming
In an effort to reach larger audiences outside of the concert hall, universities across
the U.S. are now live-streaming broadcasts
of concerts and programs, often accessible
directly through the school’s site. In addition to live-streamed concerts, the Yale
School of Music website also holds a large
supply of podcasts of various programs,
interviews, and musical discussions. Several podcasts feature the clarinet, including David Shifrin’s performance of Yale
faculty composer Ezra Laderman’s Concerto for Clarinet and Strings.
Traveling westward to Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, the IU Music Live! website hosts several on-demand
videos of past opera and ballet productions and more than 43 video and audio
The Clarinet
podcasts. The live streaming project first
started in November 2007 and all video
production is student-run and managed
by the Department of Recording Arts. The
number of programs available for viewing has grown to include performances of
groups such as the IU Philharmonic Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble. When browsing through the list of podcasts, be sure to
check out the 2008 chamber music performance by the ensemble Trio Cayanne
playing Jean Françaix’s Divertissement
with Steve Cohen on clarinet.
Heading further south to our neck of
the woods in Denton, Texas, the College of
Music at the University of North Texas regularly broadcasts classical programs, with
more than 80 concerts streamed live during the 2010–2011 season. Unlike the sites
mentioned above, UNT unfortunately restricts access to archived programs, making
them available only to UNT students, staff,
and faculty. However, what sets UNT’s live
streaming video apart from the content on
other websites is the ability for viewers to
interact with each other during concerts.
Through the live broadcast platform Ustream, viewers watching the UNT concerts
can interact and chat in real time with others, including those sitting in the audience
using an iPhone app or with family members around the world. Blair Liikala, Director of Recording Services for the College
of Music, often monitors these chats to find
ways to enhance the live-streaming experience; for example, if a parent mentions
which player is their child, Liikala can
relay this information to the camera crew,
instructing them to get a close up of that
student. It is this type of live interaction and
instant feedback that allow remote viewers
to experience the concert in ways that were
previously not possible.
Ustream and Vimeo
Used not only by universities, Ustream is
an interactive public website with a variety of live-streamed content. Although the
listing for clarinet-related videos is lack-
ing in high-quality entries, a few videos
stand out, such as bass clarinetist Martin
Moore playing Isang Yun’s Monolog . Another site worth visiting is Vimeo . With a
seemingly endless supply of clarinet entries, this is probably the only place where
you will find a video of a man playing
clarinet in the nude!! Such alternatives
to YouTube are becoming increasingly
popular, and as faster internet connections
allow video quality to increase, we look
forward to watching more and more clarinet videos on the Web .
* * * * *
Thanks to Chris Raddatz for giving us
the heads-up about InstantEncore’s collection of clarinet video and audio! If you
have suggestions for websites we should
take a look at, please e-mail us at clarinet
cache@gmail .com .
Visit clarinetcache .com to view the
electronic version of this article, and
check out our new links page . We have
been working all summer to compile a list
of the best clarinet links on the Web, so
come explore!
* * * * *
InstantEncore – http://instantencore .com
Yale School of Music –
http://music .yale .edu/media/
Indiana University – http://music .indiana .
edu/iumusiclive/streaming/
University of North Texas –
http://recording .music .unt .edu/live
Ustream – http://www .ustream .tv
Vimeo – http://vimeo .com
About the Writers…
Kellie
KellieLignitz
is lecturer of music (clarinet) at Texas A&M
University–Kingsville and is finishing
up her doctoral work
in clarinet performance at the University of North Texas,
where she also received her M
M .M .
M in 2003
2003 . As a native of
Kansas, she holds a B .M . from Washburn
University . Her primary teachers include
James Gillespie and Kirt Saville . Kellie holds the principal clarinet position in
the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra and
is also a member of the Corpus Christi
Wind Symphony .
Rachel Yoder is
adjunct professor of
clarinet at Southeastern Oklahoma State
University, and a private instructor and
clarinetist in the Dallas-Fort Worth area
area .
She earned a D
D .M .A .
in clarinet performance at the University of North Texas,
and holds degrees from Michigan State
University and Ball State University . Her
teachers include James Gillespie, Caroline
Hartig, Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr, and Gary
Whitman . Rachel performs regularly as
clarinetist in the Madera Wind Quintet and
bass clarinetist in the Chameleon Chamber
Group, and enjoys collaborating with composers to perform new works for clarinet .
Visit the
International Clarinet
Association on the
World Wide Web:
www.ClArInet.org
UNCSA announces the appointment
of Oskar Espina-Ruiz
as its artist-faculty of clarinet
Oskar Espina Ruiz has performed as soloist at major concert halls and
festivals around the globe to high critical acclaim. Born in Bilbao, Spain, he
moved to New York in 1991 to further his studies in clarinet and won the
top prizes at the Olga Koussevitzky and Artists International competitions.
He holds a DMA from Stony Brook University and a MFA from
Purchase College Conservatory of Music, where his major teachers were
Charles Neidich and Ayako Oshima. In August, he joined the faculty of
the University of North Carolina School of the Arts as a clarinet instructor.
He maintains a busy concert schedule and continues to serve as
artistic director for Treetops Chamber Music Society in Stamford, Conn.
Wade Weast, dean
2012 on-campus auditions:
Jan. 20, 2012*
Feb. 24, 2012*
Feb.10, 2012*
April 6, 2012
*Merit scholarship consideration
The University of North Carolina School of the Arts is an equal opportunity campus of the UNC system.
•Professional Artist Certificate
•Master of Music
•College Arts Diploma
•Bachelor of Music
•Residential High School
September 2011
Tadeu Coelho, flute
Taimur Sullivan, saxophone
Oskar Espina-Ruiz, clarinet
Saxton Rose, bassoon
Dance
1533 S. Main Street
Design & Production
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www.uncsa.edu
37
What’s Happening in
Italy: Rome’s Coro di
Clarinetti del Lazio at
ClarinetFest® 2011
A
s this article was being written,
a celebrated clarinet choir from
the Lazio region of Italy (the region including Rome) was preparing for
its August 7 appearance at the 2011ClarinetFest® in Northridge, California. The
Coro di Clarinetti del Lazio was founded
in 2000 by clarinetist Antonio Tomao,
who helped form its core repertoire; Simone Saccoccio (E-flat clarinetist with the
group) has been its contact person since
2008. Saccoccio and his group believe
their ensemble to be the main professional
clarinet choir in Italy; other Italian clarinet
choirs known to them are student groups.
The Coro di Clarinetti del Lazio has
several distinctive features. The musicians
are professional colleagues, active as
both ensemble and solo players, playing
together in military bands. With only 10
members, typically playing one on a part,
the group identifies strongly with a chamber music sound. They usually perform
without a conductor, deliberately modeling themselves on groups such as the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, but when they
require direction, they have been fortunate to have a collaboration with Maestro
Nicola Samale, the renowned Italian composer and conductor. He has also contributed works to their repertoire.
The Coro del Lazio seeks to build a
repertoire of original compositions and
transcriptions across many genres: chamber, modern, jazz and traditional. They
rehearse regularly, every two weeks or
more depending on their performance
schedule. In Italy, they have participated
in cultural events, TV presentations and
recordings. At the 2007 Chamber Music
Competition “M. Trotti” at Matera, they
received a special commendation from
clarinetist Gervase de Peyer, who headed
the jury. That same year, they were also
guests at the “Clarinet Day” sponsored by
the Rome international competition “V.
Bucchi International Prize,” giving the
premiere performance of Nicola Samale’s original composition Kronos, which
is also featured on the group’s 2008 CD.
2010 brought the premiere of another new
work, Samale’s Astra. Both of these works
will be performed at ClarinetFest® 2011 as
38
by Margaret Thornhill
part of a program dedicated to contemporary Italian composers for clarinet choir.
(A third work on their program, Antonio
Fraioli’s jazz concerto, My Funny Paola,
has already been reviewed in this column.)
Samale is well known as a conductor,
composer, and music researcher who has
conducted all the principal Italian orchestras as well as orchestras in England, Germany, France, Romania, Poland, Slovakia, Israel, USA, South Africa, Belgium,
Holland and South Korea. As a composer,
he has written symphonic, choral, and
chamber works (including three compositions for clarinet choir), and he is well
known for his scholarly completions of
several major unfinished orchestral works.
His completion of the Symphony No. 9 of
Anton Bruckner has been recorded three
times, one of them under the baton of
Eliahu Inbal, which won the “Gold Diapason” award in 1988. In 2008, he also
completed the third movement of the unfinished Schubert’s Symphony No. 8, and
in 2001 he finished the Gustav Mahler’s
10th Symphony which received its first
performance by the Wiener Symphoniker
under Martin Sieghart.
Recently, I chatted via E-mail with
Simone Sacciocco about the group and its
performance in California:
MT: I love the Italian repertoire on your
CD. Your performance of the Rossini
overture to Italiana in Algeri is a revelation of lightness in articulation! The
phrasing is beautifully operatic. I particularly like the contemporary works
by Samale on this disc, Elegie and Kronos. Can you tell me more about your
ClarinetFest® program?
SS: Astra is the latest Samale composition
for our ensemble. Like the subtitle indicates, it is a “fantastic divigation in
The Clarinet
Margaret Thornhill
three parts” for clarinet choir and solo
piccolo. The piccolo soloist (at ClarinetFest® is Claudio Tievoli, first flute
of the Italian Navy Band. My Funny
Paola is an amusing work of the clarinetist and composer Antonio Fraioli.
It’s nicely dedicated to his wife Paola
and to the Coro di Clarinetti del Lazio.
It was first performed in Sutri, Italy, on
June 2010, on the occasion of a meeting dedicated to the famous clarinetist
Tony Scott. The soloist in Los Angeles
will be Federico Fantozzi, the first clarinet of our group. All the program will
be conducted by Samale.
MT: How many musicians are in your
group? I see 13 names on the CD.
SS: The Choir had an evolution of its
original score formation. So, initially
it consisted of 13 elements: one E-flat,
six B-flats, two altos, three basses, one
contrabass. Now we prefer to play with
a reduced formation of 10: one E-flat,
four B-flats, two altos, two basses, one
one Saccoccio will play with the Stark
Quartet at ClarinetFest®2011!
Mt: Do you know of other Italian clarinet
choirs?
SS: I know other Italian clarinet choirs,
and they are mainly composed of clarinet students . For example, in 2010 I
knew the clarinet choir of Milano’s
Conservatory . I remember some years
ago Maestro Piero Vincenti dedicated
a great work to the clarinet choirs . I
know that in Rome there was a clarinet
choir in the Italian Police Band, but I
don’t know if it’s in existence today .
Coro di Clarinetti del Lazio, 2011. Top row (l–r): Federico Fantozzi, Simone Saccoccio,
Claudio Tievoli, Oriana Santini, Stefano Rizzotto, Manrico Salvatore, Claide Di Silvestro,
Nicola Samale; Bottom row (left to right): Salvatore Lombardo, Salvatore Di Russo, Vincenzo Spitaleri, Antonio Pelizza
contrabass . Depending on the scores,
one of the bass clarinets plays the B-flat
clarinet . But the members are nearly
the same, including our very faithful
contrabass clarinet, Claide Di Silvestro .
Mt: What interests you about coming to
Los Angeles?
SS: Perhaps the fascination of a city like
Los Angeles, that for the Italians is always seen in the magic word of Hollywood… We are very happy to come to
the U .S .A ., because . . .there is a particular mental opening with the musical
art . Besides, we think that is very important to compare us with American
clarinet choirs so we can improve our
conception listening to different ways
and approaches to the formation .
Mt: I would like to know more about the
clarinetists. Where do each of your
members usually play or teach? Tell
me a little about their musical lives.
SS: We all live in and around Rome . In
particular, all the members play in the
Italian Navy Band, with the exception
of Oriana Santini, our first bass clarinet . All the players are professional . . .
In Italy there is a great tradition of military bands . So, we have two categories
of bands: professional central military
bands and departmental military bands .
In the first category are six, all in Rome
and all composed of 102 graduate marshals . Some of us have also other competencies: Claide is a graduate in musical didactics and in modern letters,
Antonio (Pelizza) is also (an) orchestral
conductor, and all of our members have
their musical work divided between
the Navy band and their own musical
projects . For example, a certain Sim-
Mt: I see that Oriana is the only woman
in the group. How does she like that?
Who makes most of the decisions in
the group?
SS: She likes this very much: she is
“blessed between the men!” Seriously,
I have to say that Oriana is a very good
bass clarinetist and that she adapts very
well . . .All the members have an equal
value in the decisions of the group . Naturally, when we do not have the same
ideas on a certain thing, we adopt the
method of democratic majority . Then,
we have a little work group for the various engagements, composed of Salvatore Di Russo, Stefano Rizzotto and me .
Mt: What are some future plans of the
group?
SS: In particular, a concert in Novi Ligure,
Italy, on September 8 . On this occasion
HOT TIPS: NEw ITALIAN REPERTOIRE
Elegie and Kronos, for clarinet choir; Astra (for clarinet choir and solo piccolo) by
Nicola Samale. (Not published; available from the composer through Coro di Clarinetti del Lazio.)
Listening to their CD (Coro di Clarinetti del lazio, Associazione Musicale Cultural “Orpheus,” 2008), which includes Elegie and Kronos, I found myself very attracted to Nicola Samale’s compositions which make wonderful use of the colors
of the clarinet family. Kronos in particular should be a great discovery for small to
medium size groups with interest in new repertoire. The work, which is just under
eight minutes long, has a wonderful dramatic shape with much contrast, and is in
a modern atonal idiom with lyrical and giocoso qualities very suitable to clarinets.
Elegie is a shorter (five minutes), emotionally charged work shaped around a single
chromatic idea, used in imitative counterpoint throughout the voices and as a basis for parallel harmonies. Also very suitable (in my opinion) for a larger ensemble
with doubled parts, this darkly expressive compostion is somewhat similar in style
to the American composer Elliot del Borgo’s Dodecaphonic Essay for clarinet choir.
At the time of writing, I was not able to preview Astra. Highly recommended!
Both the CD (which sells for five Euros plus postage) and scores are available on
request through [email protected]
September 2011
39
we propose a program totally dedicated
to the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the union of Italy, with only
Italian music (original and transcriptions). Our intention is also to record a
CD in 2012 of only music by Maestro
Samale, dedicated to our group.
MT: Do your members know each other
well as friends, or mostly as professional colleagues?
SS: We are all colleagues in the Italian
Navy Band (except Orianna), but in
private life we are also good friends.
I think in a musical group friendship
is fundamental; and this especially if
there are professionals in the group.
In fact, everybody has to tell his own
musical ideas and to receive ideas from
the other members. Often there is not
this exchange of ideas, and I think it
isn’t positive for the musical result.
Our friendship is an important condition, thanks to which, we can play …
in concert without a conductor.
MT: What is special to you about playing
in the Coro del Lazio?
SS: I think that the clarinet choir has no
limits about playing transcriptions ...in
particular, Italian opera, symphonies
and baroque music can really be played
with excellent results with a clarinet
choir: all the voices are replaced from
the original score, and the effect in
some occasions could be better than
the original. (It also depends, naturally,
on a good transcription!) We are also
always searching for original works.
From some years, Nicola Samale helps
us to improve the original repertoire
for the group, and for him it’s become
a challenge to experiment new musical
styles for clarinet choir. He’s a great
musician, and over all a friend.
* * * * *
You can listen to the Coro di Clarinetti
del Lazio on the Web:
www.myspace.com/corodiclarinet
tidellazio
www.youtube.com/
watch?v=CHb_0kLSq-Q
www.youtube.com/watch?v=
o4yNka9RQuE&feature=related
You can contact the Coro di Clarinetti
del Lazio at E-mail: corodiclarinetti@
libero.it
About the Writer…
Margaret Thornhill, DMA, is a performer and private teacher in Los Angeles
who conducts the Los Angeles Clarinet
Choir, is founder/director of the Claremont Clarinet Festival and adjunct professor of clarinet at Concordia University,
Irvine. She is interested in gathering information about clarinet choirs around the
world for future columns. Send clarinet
choir news, comments, or information to
her at [email protected]
Back Issues
of The Clarinet
Back-issue order forms for The Clarinet may now be downloaded from the I.C.A. website:
www.clarinet.org. Copies may also
be requested by contacting:
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405 Santiago Place
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Assistantships for Fall 2012 Entering Graduate Students
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40
The Clarinet
CALL FOR PAPERS
AND PRESENTATIONS
INTERNATIONAL CLARINET ASSOCIATION
CLARINETFEST® 2012
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA–LINCOLN
AUGUST 1–5, 2012
The International Clarinet Association will hold its ClarinetFest® 2012, a symposium and festival devoted
to the clarinet, at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. The artistic director is Diane Barger. The program
for the conference will include a series of scholarly papers and presentations. The Association solicits
proposals for presentations (such as papers or lecture-recitals) on any topic related to the clarinet. The
use of live or recorded performance is acceptable; however, presentations whose sole aim is performance are discouraged. Presentations should be designed to be no more than 25 minutes in length.
Those giving presentations must be I.C.A. members and must register for the conference.
Presenters on the program in 2011 are ineligible for 2012. Each person is limited to one proposal.
Prizes will be offered by the I.C.A. as follows: First place paper, US $1,000 and guaranteed publication in The Clarinet journal (subject to editing); and second place paper, US $500.
To submit a proposal, send the following:
1. SIX copies of an abstract (1200-1500 words) fully describing the content of the proposed paper or
lecture-recital. Include a complete list of sources. The name or identification of the author must not
appear on the proposal.
2. ONE copy of an author identification sheet containing the author’s name, address, phone numbers,
email address, and title of paper. Please list all equipment needs for the proposed presentation. This
sheet should also contain a biographical sketch of the author (limited to 150 words), as you would
like it printed in the conference program.
The above materials must be received by January 15, 2012.
Please send to:
Dr. Douglas Monroe, I.C.A. Research Presentation Committee Chair
North Dakota State University Department of Music
12th Avenue North & Bolley Drive
Dept. 2334, P.O. Box 6050
Fargo, North Dakota 58108-6050 USA
For more information, call Douglas Monroe at (701) 231-8498 or E-mail at [email protected].
The I.C.A. assumes no tax liability that competition winners may incur through receiving prize
money. Individuals are responsible for investigating applicable tax laws and reporting prize winnings
to requisite government agencies.
September 2011
41
ClarinetFest
2012
Lincoln, Nebraska
®
P
lans for ClarinetFest® 2012 began
early in 2009 when I first submitted a proposal to serve as an Artistic
Director for a future I .C .A . ClarinetFest® .
At that time I was confident that Lincoln
would be an exceptional venue for the
I .C .A . conference, and I am most excited
to invite each and every one of you to
come to Lincoln, Nebraska from August
1–5, 2012 to participate in, what I hope
will be, a memorable I .C .A . ClarinetFest® .
Lincoln, Nebraska, the “Prairie Capital City,” is one of the Midwest’s most
affordable, accessible, and agreeable cities located less than a day’s drive from
Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver, St . Louis,
Kansas City and Des Moines . Named after
Abraham Lincoln, this state capital boasts
several fine parks, museums, restaurants,
specialty shops, art galleries and more .
(www .lincoln .org/visiting/thingstodo)
Downtown Lincoln houses more than
100 restaurants for your dining pleasure
as well as the Historic Haymarket (www .
lincolnhaymarket .org) . Here you will find
exquisite restaurants, unique shopping,
antique shops and entertaining nightspots,
including the first microbrewery in Nebraska, all placed among restored turn-ofthe-century warehouses located in close
proximity to all ClarinetFest® activities .
On Saturday morning of ClarinetFest®
(8:00 a .m . to noon) be sure to schedule
some time to walk through the Haymarket
Farmers’ Market where vendors display
fresh produce, flowers and homemade
food . (Kolaches anyone?)
In addition to the wonderful array of
artists featured at ClarinetFest® 2012 (stay
tuned for the next issue of The Clarinet for
a sneak preview), I believe the venues are
an additional highlight of the conference .
The Embassy Suites is our primary conference hotel—an upscale, all-suite hotel
featuring many contemporary accommodations as well as a complimentary, madeto-order hot breakfast and evening Manager’s Reception every day . The Holiday
Inn Downtown, just one block away, is our
overflow hotel at the same conference price
and allows for all guests to come over to
42
Westbrook Music Building
Lincoln, NE
capitol building
the Embassy Suites for the aforementioned
breakfast and Manager’s Reception for the
social atmosphere . Additionally, all exhibits for ClarinetFest® 2012 will be housed
in the Embassy Suites’ 12,000-square-foot
ballroom . Participants need only take a
short walk across the street from the exhibits to the other conference activities
that will take place in the University of
Nebraska–Lincoln’s Westbrook Music
Building, Kimball Recital Hall and the
Lied Center for Performing Arts .
Heritage to Horizon, the theme for
ClarinetFest® 2012, takes a look back to
the legacy of Daniel Bonade and Robert
Marcellus and towards the future of clarinet performance and pedagogy . The Artistic Leadership Committee looks forward
to reviewing proposals for recitals and
lectures in the coming months . Please note
that the committee is particularly interested
in featuring pedagogy presentations or lectures relating to Daniel Bonade or Robert
Marcellus as well as innovative and recent
concepts and developments in clarinet pedagogy . The conference will also feature
performances in a wide variety of performance styles and repertoire . The postmark
due date for the Call-for-Proposals Application is September 30, 2011, so please
submit your proposals as soon as possible!
The Clarinet
In addition to having a “themed” ClarinetFest® in 2012, it was a goal to try to
find a way in which to involve a greater
population of our I .C .A . members in our
conferences; thus the addition of the “Call
for Clarinet Enthusiasts” proposal as seen
on the I .C .A . website . (www .clarinet .org/
clarinetFest2012Enthusiasts .asp) These
20–30 minute performances will be showcased at the Manager’s Reception at the
Embassy Suites between the hours of
5:30–7:00 p .m . on August 1–4 during the
conference and are designated to showcase
the musical talents of the non-professional
clarinetist of the I .C .A . in mixed groups
(trios and quartets are ideal) . This provides
an additional opportunity beyond the conference clarinet choirs for our members to
share their talents and is a unique opportunity to spend valuable social time with one
another each evening in between the regularly scheduled ClarinetFest® events . Mu-
sic in a relaxed atmosphere served up with
free appetizers and drinks…who could ask
for anything more?
Come see for yourself what Lincoln has
to offer you . I look forward to welcoming
you to our capital city and the University
of Nebraska–Lincoln during ClarinetFest®
2012 – Heritage to Horizon .
See you in Lincoln,
– Dr. Diane Barger, Artistic Director
Hixson-Lied Professor of Clarinet
CLARINETFEST® 2012
CLARINET ENTHUSIASTS
Calling all clarinet enthusiasts! ClarinetFest® 2012 in Lincoln, Nebraska is looking for a few good men and
women to showcase their musical talents during the Manager’s Reception at the Embassy Suites between
the hours of 5:30–7:00 p.m. on August 1–4, 2012. These performances will take place in the open atrium of
the hotel.
Specifically, we are looking for several programs throughout each evening (maximum of 20–30 minutes
in length for each group) of very light, toe-tapping, fun music for mixed groups of clarinets (trios and quartets are ideal). This is a performance opportunity for our friends in the clarinet community who would like
to share their talents beyond the conference clarinet choir. You are an important part of the I.C.A. and we
wish to feature you at ClarinetFest® 2012!
If you are interested, please fill out the separate Call for Proposal form labeled “Clarinet Enthusiasts” on
the I.C.A. website.
CALL FOR PROPOSALS ANNOUNCEMENT
ClarinetFest® 2012
Lincoln, Nebraska USA
•
August 1–5, 2012
Artistic Director Diane Barger, Professor of Clarinet at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Artistic Leadership Team members Denise Gainey (University of Alabama-Birmingham) and John Masserini (Northern
Arizona University) announce the theme for the 2012 ClarinetFest®:
HERITAGE TO HORIZON
Looking back to the legacy of Daniel Bonade and Robert Marcellus
and towards the future of performance and pedagogy
If you would like to submit a proposal to perform or present at ClarinetFest® 2012, please download and
complete the Call for Proposals form located on the I.C.A website and send it in to the address below. Recordings and written requests will be accepted through September 30, 2011 and will be reviewed by the
committee. The ClarinetFest® 2012 committee is particularly interested in featuring pedagogy presentations or lectures relating to Daniel Bonade or Robert Marcellus as well as innovative and recent concepts
and developments in clarinet pedagogy. The conference will be featuring a wide variety of performance
styles and repertoire – full consideration will be given to all complete proposals. Only proposals submitted
by members of the International Clarinet Association will be considered.
Please submit your completed proposal to:
Dr. Diane Barger, Artistic Director
ClarinetFest® 2012
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, School of Music
120 Westbrook Music Building
Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0100
September 2011
43
The Rise and Fall
of the
Bass Clarinet in a
T
by Keith Bowen
he bass clarinet in A was introduced
by Wagner in Lohengrin in 1848 .
Unlike the bass instruments in C
and B-flat, it is not known to have a history
in wind bands . Its appearance was not, so
far as is known, accompanied by any negotiations with makers . Over the next century,
it was called for by over 20 other composers in more than 60 works . The last works
to use the bass in A are, I believe, Strauss’
Sonatine für Blaser, 1942, and Messiaen’s
Turangalîla-Symphonie (1948, revised
1990) and Gunther Schuller’s Duo Sonata
(1949) for clarinet and bass clarinet . The
instrument has all but disappeared from orchestral use and there are very few left in
the world . It is now often called obsolete,
despite the historically-informed performance movement over the last half century
which emphasizes, inter alia, performance
on the instruments originally specified by
the composer . And the instrument has been
largely neglected by scholars . Leeson1
drew attention to the one-time popularity
and current neglect of the instrument, in an
article that inspired the current study, and
Joppig2 has disussed the use of the various
tonalities of clarinet, including the bass in
A, by Gustav Mahler . He pointed out that
the use of both A and B-flat clarinets in both
soprano and bass registers was absolutely
normal in Mahler’s time, citing Heinrich
Schenker writing as Artur Niloff in 19083 .
Otherwise it has been as neglected in the
literature as it is in the orchestra .
So why is the bass clarinet in A now so
little used? Was it ever used by composers
because of the unique perceived quality
of its sound? Should “period” orchestras
revive this instrument? We can seek the
answers in clarinet organology, in documents written by composers, in the music
that they wrote, and we can play and listen
to the instrument .
The development of the bass clarinet
up to 1860 has been discussed compre44
hensively by Rice4 . Two early forms, the
“plank” type and the visually striking
“serpent” form by Papalini did not lead
to established production of instruments
and were evolutionary dead-ends . The
bass clarinet proper began in 1793 with
Heinrich Grenser of Dresden who invented an instrument5 in bassoon form,
with wider bore and hence more powerful tone, descending to low C . The instrument survives and is now in Stockholm
(S-Stockholm M2653), and it inspired
a large number of instruments by many
makers over at least 60 years . It evolved
into the half-bassoon type (with a straight
Figure 1: A bass clarinet by Ludwig and
Martinka of Prague. Czech Museum of
Music, E.135. Originally labeled as a bass
in A, acoustic calculations showed this instrument to be pitched in C (see text). With
kind permission of the Czech Museum
of Music.
The Clarinet
upper joint, a butt joint and a bell coming directly off this) towards the end of its
life, and also into a simple folded tube (the
Glicibarifono), especially in Italy . An example by Ludwig and Martinka of Prague
is shown in Figure 1 . Without exception
these instruments descended at least as
low as written C.
This very compact bass instrument
was undoubtedly used mainly in military
bands,6 though it is known that the very
first orchestral bass solo, in Saverio Mercadante’s Emma d’Antiocha [1834] for
bass in C was played by Catterini on his
own bassoon-form instrument and used
the full bottom range to C . An excellent
example of Catterini’s instrument survives
in the Bate Collection in Oxford (No . 496) .
It is not known why the bassoon form
was eventually supplanted by the modern
“straight” form, which was invented by
Desfontenelles of Lisieux in 1807 . Criticism of the “nasal” sound of the bassoonform instrument was made by Mandel in
1859 .7 But very likely it was the innovations and superb craftsmanship of Buffet
“Jeune” in 1833 and notably Adolphe Sax
in 1838, plus a preference in the French
Conservatoire that a clarinet should look
like a clarinet and not like a bassoon . The
French musicologist Fétis remarks:8
In order that the new instruments
conserve as much as possible of the
analogy that exists with the soprano
clarinet, it is necessary not to alter
the form at all; I think therefore that
Messrs . Dacosta and Buffet have
better achieved this end than Mr . Streitwolf in not curving the tube of
their bass clarinette, and in facilitating the playing of the instrument by
means of an inclined bocal to which
the mouthpiece is adapted .
The lack of notes below E was not perceived as a disadvantage for orchestral
playing. This range remained standard for
the rest of the 19th century with only occasional provision and use of the written
E-flat.
Assessment of the Pitch of
an Instrument
Before cataloguing the bass clarinets in
A that have been found, we must inquire
how we know that they were so pitched.
It is only certain that the instrument was
built as a bass in A when there is a documentary record, when the instrument is so
labeled by the maker and when a pair of
instruments in B-flat and A is preserved.
In other cases, this simple question does
not have a simple answer, even if the instrument can be played, since absolute
pitch has varied enormously in different
localities even since 1850.9 In the mid
1860s, a B-flat clarinet in Paris or Dresden
would have been a slightly flat A clarinet
in Munich or Vienna. One must attempt to
assess the pitch level in which the instrument was originally played.
Further problems arise when, as is normal in museum collections, the instrument
may not be played even if it is in good
enough condition. Critical examination is
still necessary. An example is instrument
E.135 in the Czech Museum of Music, a
bassoon-type instrument which was labeled
“Bass Clarinet in A by Ludwig and Martinka.” The museum staff (all new since
1990) had no information about the provenance of the label or the instrument except
the donor’s name, and kindly allowed the
author to make detailed measurements.
In such cases, the only resort is measurement and mathematics.10 In its lower
register, a clarinet approximates closely
to a closed-end cylindrical pipe. The fundamental vibration frequency, f, of this
pipe depends only on its length, L, and the
speed of sound, v:
f = v/4L
v may be taken as 345 m/s. In principle
we measure the length and apply the formula, but there are two complications. The
mouthpiece needs special treatment since
it varies in shape internally. The best way
is to measure its internal volume, which
generally cannot be done with museum
specimens, but an estimate which will not
greatly affect the result is to take half the
actual length of the mouthpiece. The sec-
ond complication is that the bottom note
is a poor one to choose for determining
the pitch, because of the effect of the bell.
There is no simple formula for estimating
the acoustic length of a bell of arbitrary
shape.
Therefore, it is best to measure the
length to the center of a low tone hole that
is followed by an open tone hole (both
within the cylindrical part of the bore)
and apply a tone-hole correction c. The
acoustic length is longer than the physical
length to the last closed tone hole by the
amount
where z is the distance to the next open
tone hole, d is the diameter of that tone
hole, D is the bore diameter at the open
tone hole and t is its depth. h is a factor
that may be taken as 0.75 for a completely
open hole and 1.0 for an average padded
hole. The acoustic treatment of the butt
joint in a bassoon-form instrument has not
yet been determined, but tube curvatures
are known to have a flattening effect. This
formula was tested by application to care-
Date
Form
Maker
City
Location reference
Lowest
written note
1
Late 18th C
Plank
Unknown
Unknown
B-MIM M939 (Brussels)
E
2
1850s
Unknown
Johann Adam
Heckel
Biebrich
Wagner letter of 1861
E?
3
Pre-1866
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown,
probably
Germany
Lachner survey of 1867. Old high pitch.
?
4
c. 1866
Unknown
Georg Ottensteiner
Tübingen
Lachner survey 1867. New low pitch.
Converted from B¨ high pitch
?
5
1840-1860
Straight
Stengel
Bayreuth
Thomas Reil collection. Very probably a pair
with the B flat in Edinburgh EUCHMI 4932
E
6
1880s
Straight
C. Kruspe
Erfurt
D-MMUL 4478 (Leipzig)
E
7
1890s
Straight
Karl Stecher
Vienna
A-KMW N.E. 345
(Vienna)
E?
8
c.1900
Straight
C.W. Moritz
Berlin
D-SIfM 4438
(Berlin)
E
9
c.1901
Straight
Carl Kruspe
Leipzig
D-München 90-43
E
10
1920
Straight
Buffet
Paris
EUCHMI 5122
Edinburgh
E
11
1919
Straight
Heckel, No. 3615
Biebrich
G. & I. Joppig collection
E-flat
12
1939 - 1959
Straight
Fritz Wurlitzer
Erlbach
D-SIfM
(Berlin) 5298
E-flat
Table 1: Chronological list of extant or documented historic bass clarinets in A
September 2011
45
fully-measured instruments such as the
Heckel 1906 B-flat bass in Nürnberg.11 In
the case of the Ludwig and Martinka “bass
in A,” the acoustic length of the E note
was measured at 1000.0 mm plus a tonehole correction of 32.31 mm. The resulting
frequency is 83.6 Hz; the butt and mouthpiece approximations will result in an uncertainty of c. ±2 Hz. In equal temperament at the likely local pitch of a’=435 Hz
(Diapason Normale – the Bohemian musician were strongly influenced by French
practice), E is 81.5 and F is 86.3 Hz. E is
the closest note (bear in mind the accuracy
of about 2 Hz), so the instrument is very
likely to be a bass in C. To be a bass in
A, the pitch level would have to be about
a’=530, which is much too far above even
the very high Viennese pitch of the time.
Figure 3:
The Kruspe A bass
D-MMUL 4478
(Leipzig, left)
compared with
a slightly earlier
B-flat bass by
the same maker,
also in Leipzig.
With kind
permission from
the Museum für
Musikinstrumenten
der Universität
Leipzig
TheWorldCatalogueof
BassClarinetsinA
A comprehensive search for bass clarinets
in A was undertaken through online museum catalogues, clarinet and bass clarinet
Internet lists and correspondence. Three
instruments with strong documentary evidence were identified as well as nine actual instruments in museums or collections
worldwide. The oldest, a plank form, was
probably not made specifically for the A
tonality as it is dated a century before the
earliest known music for this instrument,
and we do not know the local pitch at the
time. The resulting historical catalogue is
shown in Table 1. This is probably reasonably accurate for museum collections
of modern-type instruments given the
sources used, though it may not include all
private collections. Although no bassoon-
type instruments pitched in A have been
discovered, most such instruments have
not been studied for pitch. The instrument
is without doubt extremely rare.
Two of these instruments are illustrated
in Figure 2 and Figure 3.
In addition, six current professional
players in the UK, USA and Canada with
basses in A have been found, five using
Selmers from a batch made in the 1980s
plus one Buffet probably from the 1920
or 1930s. One German-system instrument
has also been found, reportedly also dating from between the two world wars and
made in the Voigtland region, which is
in occasional use in the Dresden Opera.
There is hearsay evidence for three or four
Figure 2: The Stengel bass (no. 5 in the above list), probably the earliest bass clarinet in A
that is known. With kind permission from Thomas Reil.
46
The ClarineT
others. The world list of basses in A thus
stands currently at about 20 instruments.
DocumentaryEvidence
Three of the instruments in the world catalogue are only known from documentary
evidence. Liszt conducted the first performance of Lohengrin while Wagner was
in political exile in Switzerland, and their
1850s letters discuss the procurement of
a bass clarinet several times, from which
we may deduce that Kruspe of Erfurt was
the supplier for the Leipzig performance
in 1853. The tonality is not mentioned
in these letters, but Wagner does make a
telling comment in a letter dated June 15
1861 to Heinrich Esser of Vienna, who
was to conduct a performance of Tristan
in 1861 or 1862:12
Now, I should like to remind you
that a bass clarinet in A must be obtained. We spoke about this once:
I know that in many places, particularly in Dresden, this instrument
was used in Lohengrin in addition to
the bass clarinet in B-flat, and what
the player there could accomplish
must be possible in Vienna too.
They wrote to me at the time from
Dresden that they had obtained
this A clarinet from an instrumentmaker somewhere on the Rhine - I
don’t know whether it was in Darmstadt or where. Have the goodness
to find out about this!
This is the first direct evidence that
an important composer considered either
the tone quality of the A, or perhaps the
smoothness of fingering in an easy key,
essential, not merely the range. For there
would be no point in his statement if he
would allow the concert D-flat to be played
on a B-flat instrument, which was certainly
possible at the time. It is also the first evidence that a bass in A was actually used
in a Tristan performance. According to
Holde, the instrument maker referred to in
the quotation was Johann Adam Heckel of
Biebrich, founder of the famous company,
who later met Wagner and inter alia constructed the wooden trumpet for Tristan.
Court and orchestra records provide the
other two instruments. While most players owned their own soprano clarinets,
the bass instruments were often owned by
the court or theatre, especially in the early
days of their use. There was an inspection
of the instruments of the Bavarian Court
by the General Music Director Franz
Lachner on 30 August 1867,13 shortly after
the 1865 edict of King Ludwig II lowering
the pitch throughout Bavaria to Diapason
normale by the end of the year; this was
approximately a semitone lower than the
previous pitch . Lachner wrote:
Georg Ottensteiner made these
instruments for his friend Baermann,
“a B-flat- Clarinet [ . . .]” with it [as a
set] “an A and a C clarinet [ . . .]” a
“mouthpiece [ . . .]”, and an “A-bassclarinet”, in addition to that he converted the old A-bassclarinet into a
B-flat-bassclarinet and delivered a
“mouthpiece for the A- and B-Bassclarinet [ . . .] and a “bassethorn … .”14
(tr . Heike Fricke; descriptions of materials omitted from translation)
Conversion of a bass in A to one in Bflat at the same pitch is not practical . The
length to any tone hole is about 5% difference, i .e . 50 mm towards the bottom of
the instrument . All the tone holes and post
holes would need filling and redrilling,
most of the keywork would need shortening or remounting, and a new neck would
be needed . However, the passage makes
sense if the “old” bass clarinet was made
at the pre-1866 pitch, approximately a
semitone higher .15 It would then be close
to a B-flat clarinet in the new pitch, and
require only minor tuning adjustments .
This is strong evidence for the earliest
bass clarinet in A being constructed before 1866, though we cannot assume that
it was Ottensteiner . We do know directly
of (Carl) Baermann’s virtuosity, from
contemporary sources and from his famous tutor, which is still in print .16 Without doubt he could have played any of the
Wagner parts on any bass clarinet having
the range, yet he found it worthwhile to repeat his experience of playing a bass in A,
as well as in B-flat, after the pitch change
in Bavaria .
We may speculate on further bass clarinets in A from the enormous patent literature on the clarinet, but this is unsupported
by other evidence . Patents tell one what
was invented, in the form of a concept and
design, and hence what could have been
made . They do not tell one what was actually available . For example, the 22 July
1853 Austrian patent of Anton Nechwalsky claiming the invention of a bass with
an extension to C is proven by the surviving B-flat instrument in the Smithsonian
Institute, No . 67269 . However, his ad
Figure 4: the numbers of manufacturers offering bass clarinets in A, since 1900.
dendum of 3 October 1853 stating that he
could supply these instruments standing
in C, B-flat or A is unsupported, since the
Smithsonian example is his only known
extant instrument .
The decline in the popularity and availability of the bass clarinet in A can best
be traced through manufacturers’ documents and records . Some 40 catalogues or
advertisements dating from the 1890s to
the 1960s were examined, and a number
of existing manufacturers responded to
requests for information . This is summarized in Figure 2 .
Bass clarinets in A were routinely offered by a dozen manufacturers, large and
small, up to WWII . However, all these
makers have either disappeared or no longer offer the instrument . There is currently
a single custom maker (Stephen Fox) who
offers the bass in A as routine . The situation was summarized by Jérome Selmer
who wrote:17
We never had a bass clarinet in
A in our catalogue . We just made
a few a long time ago, around 20
years .
We never decide to go [into]
production in series because the investment is not valuable compared
to the quantities required by our
customers . … For your information
we produce approximately 350 Bass
clarinets per year .
The bass clarinet has enjoyed greater
popularity since the mid-20th-century than
at any time, thanks largely to the rise of
school and college music and its emphasis
September 2011
on wind bands . This has driven the emphasis of manufacture towards mass production methods – of B-flat instruments only .
There is thus a compelling argument
that market, not musical forces have been
decisive in the decline of the bass clarinet
in A . Now let us see what we have been
missing .
ThebassClarinetin
Ainmusic
We approach this from two directions:
what were composers taught, and what
did they write? Many orchestration manuals are available from the 19th and 20th
centuries: Logier (1825), Berlioz (1843 &
1856), Gassner (1849), Porteous (1854),
Lobe (1858), Gevaert (1863), Prout (1899),
Rimsky-Korsakov (1891), Kling (1883
and 1905), Corder (1896), Widor (1904),
Berlioz & Strauss (1904), Jadasson (1907),
Forsyth (1914) and Evans (1926) . Virtually all of these emphasized two features of
writing for clarinets . One is that it is difficult to play them fluently in “extreme” keys
(more than two, or possibly three, sharps or
flats) so that a composer should choose the
clarinet largely according to the main key
of the work (and sometimes the instrument
in A was required mainly for its lowest
note) . The other is that the C, A and B-flat
clarinets have a very different sound character, and this must be taken into account in
the composition . Thus, even though composers might not have originally chosen
the clarinet for its tone quality, they had to
bear in mind the tone implications of their
choice . None of the orchestration manuals
47
Surname
Title of work
Opus # (etc)
Date of composition.
1
Bartók
Dance Suite No. 1
Opus 3
1905 rev. c. 1920
2
Bartók
Dance Suite No. 2
Opus 4
1907 rev. 1920, 1943
3
Bartók
Miraculous Mandarin
Op. 19
1924
4
Bax
Spring Fire
1913
5
Bax
Symphony No. 1
1922
6
Bax
Symphony No. 2
1926
7
Bax
Symphony No. 4
1931
8
Bax
Symphony No. 5
1932
9
Bax
Symphony No. 6
1934
10
Berg
Sieben Früher Lieder
1907 orch. 1928
11
Bülow, von
Nirwana
12
Copland
Dance symphony for large orchestra
1925
13
Delius
Paris: a Nocturne (The Song of a Great City)
1899
14
Dvořák
Scherzo Capriccioso
Op. 66
1883
15
Dvořák
The Water Sprite
Op. 107
1896
16
Dvořák
The Noon Witch
Op. 108
1896
17
Dvořák
The Wild (or Wood) Dove
Op. 110
1896
18
Elgar
Pomp & Circumstance March No. 2
Op. 39 no. 2
1901
19
Elgar
Pomp & Circumstance March No. 1
Op. 39 no. 1
1901
20
Ireland
Symphonic Rhapsody Mai-Dun
21
Liszt
Dante Symphony
22
Mahler
Symphony No. 4
1892, 1900 + revs. To 1910
23
Mahler
Symphony No. 5
1902 + revs.
24
Mahler
Symphony No. 6
1904, 1906+revs.
25
Mahler
Symphony No. 7
1905 + revs.
26
Mahler
Symphony No. 8
1907
27
Mahler
Das Lied von der Erde
1909
28
Messiaen
Turangalîla-Symphony
1948 rev. 1990
29
Puccini
Manon Lascaut
1893
30
Puccini
La Bohème
1896
31
Puccini
Tosca
1900
32
Rachmaninoff
Symphony No. 2
Opus 27
1907
33
Rachmaninoff
Symphony No. 3
Opus 44
1936 rev. 1938
34
Rachmaninoff
Symphonic Dances
1940
35
Ravel
La Valse
1920
36
Ravel
Concerto for the Left Hand
1930
37
Ravel
L’Enfant et les Sortilèges
1925
38
Ravel-Mussorgsky
Pictures at an Exhibition
1922
39
Respighi
Fountains of Rome
40
Rimsky-Korsakov
The Maid of Pskov
1872
41
Rimsky-Korsakov
Mlada
1872
42
Rimsky-Korsakov
The Legend of Tsar Saltan
1901
48
Op. 20
1933
Raabe 426
Op. 106
The Clarinet
1870
1855-6
1916
Surname
Title of work
Opus # (etc)
Date of composition.
43
Rimsky-Korsakov
The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitesh
and the Maiden Fevroniya
1903
44
Rimsky-Korsakov
The Golden Cockerel
1907
45
Schoenberg
Pelleas und Melisande
Op. 5
1911
46
Schoenberg
Kammersymphonie
Op. 9
1912
47
Schoenberg
Gurre-Lieder
1901 orch 1911
48
Schuller
Duo Sonata
1949
49
Strauss
Sonatine No. 1 für Bläser
(Aus dem Werkstatt des Invalide)
1943
50
Strauss
Rosenkavalier
1910
51
Sullivan
The Golden Legend
1886
52
Tchaikovsky
Nutcracker Ballet
53
Verdi
Otello
54
Vianna da Motta
A’ Patria
55
Wagner
Lohengrin
1848
56
Wagner
Die Walküre
1852 -1856
57
Wagner
Tristan und Isolde
1857-1859
58
Wagner
Das Rheingold
1853 - 1862
59
Wagner
Siegfried
1856-1869
60
Wagner
Gotterdämmerung
1869-1874
61
Wagner
Parsifal
1877 - 1881
Opus 71
1892
1887
Opus 13
1895
Table 2: List of works known using the bass clarinet in A.
makes the same distinction when discussing bass clarinets, but nor is it contradicted.
They say, in effect: “write as you do for the
soprano clarinet but an octave lower, and
bear in mind that the bass instrument is not
so nimble.” It would be difficult for a student to read these manuals without coming
to the conclusion that there is a similar difference between A and B-flat bass instruments as there is between the corresponding soprano clarinets. There are grounds
for believing that composers would have
been aware of the sound when composing.
Berlioz remarks:
The scores were all examined with four
questions in mind:
1. Is the usage standard (as taught by orchestration manuals: sopranos and bass
clarinets in the same tonality, chosen
to avoid extreme key signatures, with
lowest notes written E)?
2. Is there evidence that the bass clarinet
in A was employed for its lower bottom
note?
3. Was the tonality of the bass clarinet ever
chosen contrary to standard usage?
Most of the usage is indeed standard.
Only one work (by Berg) has been found
requiring a bass in A with a lower note
than written E (E-flat). In the 19th and
early 20th centuries, it was absolutely
normal to select the bass in A when indicated by the tonality, and this practice
was continued by many composers in the
20th-century. It was often used for its lowest note. Curiously, the use of the bass in
A persisted longer in France (Ravel, Mes-
Generally, performers should
only use the instruments indicated
by the composer. Since each of
these instruments has its own particular character, it may be assumed
that the composer has preferred one
or the other instrument for the sake
of a definite timbre and not out of
mere whim.
Turning now to the works that they
wrote, Table 2 shows a list of more 60
works found that use the bass clarinet in A.
September 2011
49
siaen), Russia (Rachmaninoff) and even
England (Bax, Ireland) than in Germany,
where it originated.
There are a number of critical works
that show that the composer was making
a specific choice of the bass in A.
In the solo in Tristan accompanying
King Mark in Act II Scene 3, Wagner
chose the bass in A in the key of A-flat
rather than the B-flat instrument in the
simpler G. The A instrument could here
have been selected for its sound, but also
for the “flat” key. Remarkably, he had not
heard the bass in A in Lohengrin before
composing Tristan and Walküre.
Franz Liszt used the bass in A in Eine
Symphonie zu Dante’s Divina Commedia
(1859) is the next work after Lohengrin
and Die Walküre to use bass clarinet in A.
In Inferno, he uses two soprano clarinets
in B-flat and a bass clarinet in A. There
is a prominent solo recitative on the bass
in A, descending to written E. But use of
written E-flat in the line for the B-flat bass
in Purgatorio shows that he did not select
purely for the lowest note.
Antonin Dvořák used the bass in A in
three of his late orchestral tone poems. In
The Water Sprite (1896), the instrument
is tacet until very near the end. Then, the
bass clarinet in A enters in a solo passage
doubled by cor anglais, in a mournful
coda, after the murder of the child by the
evil sprite. The lowest note is only written A, so the B-flat bass could have been
used. The passage is just 17 bars, with the
instrument playing in F major; it is exactly
the right choice for the key and for the
sound required, and the required smoothness would have been very difficult to
achieve on a B-flat instrument playing in
the key of E.
Gustav Mahler makes complex choices
in his clarinet orchestration, as noted by
Joppig.2 In Symphony No. 4 (1892), bass
clarinets in both B-flat and A are called.
At times, Mahler uses simultaneously
clarinets in C, E-flat and B-flat, indicating
that he chose the tone color of the clarinets
carefully. Until the last movement, the usage is standard. However, the solo passage
for the B-flat bass at the end of the work
is a significant anomaly. The key signature
for the A bass would have been G, much
simpler than the actual F-sharp for the
B-flat bass. There was plenty of time to
change instruments. This choice survived
Mahler’s many revisions and corrections,
50
and it must be concluded that he did not
want the A bass for this particular solo.
Most of the rest of his symphonies use just
the bass in B-flat but in Symphony No. 9 he
writes down to written E-flat for the bass
in B-flat. However, in his last major work,
Das Lied von der Erde (1909), there is a
short passage for A bass at RN41 in the last
movement, at which the soprano clarinets
remain in B-flat. The bass is now in G-flat;
the low written E is used for a solo group
together with the bassoons and contrabassoon, but in light of his knowledge of the
extended B-flat instrument, this may be a
desire for the instrument to be playing in
a flatter key. There are many cases where
Mahler appears to have made the choice of
tonalities either because of the sound quality that he wanted, or because of the key
that he preferred for the instrument. For
example in the sixth symphony he shows
a preference for the bass instrument to be
in a very “flat” key such as G-flat and in
the fourth, for the sharp key of F-sharp (or
their relative minors). I do not see another
rationale for some of Mahler’s choices.
Richard Strauss was fastidious in his
choice of clarinets; e.g. in Rosenkavalier
(1910), three clarinetists manage instruments in E-flat, D, C, B-flat, A, basset horn
in F and bass clarinets in A and B-flat. On
the “instrumentation” page he wrote that
it is absolutely inadmissable to substitute the A or B-flat clarinet for the instrument in C.18 Towards the end of his life,
Strauss wrote Sonatine für Bläser (From
the Workshop of an Invalid) (1942). Both
A and B-flat basses are used. In the second and third movements, the tonality of
the bass follows that of the soprano clarinets, A and B-flat respectively. But in the
first movement, which like the third is in
the key of F, the sopranos are again in Bflat (playing in G) whereas the bass is in
A (playing in A-flat). Strauss was notoriously unconcerned about the difficulty for
players. It therefore appears that the use
of different bass instruments for the two
outer movements, both in F, with the same
soprano clarinets, was deliberate.
In the Suite, Opus 4 (1921) by Béla
Bartók, the second clarinet doubles on bass
in A for the very prominent unaccompanied Andante solo in the third movement.
The solo is in C major, and is very difficult
to play smoothly on the bass in B-flat. It is
clear that given the key for this movement,
the bass in A was a deliberate choice.
The Clarinet
There is just one living composer who
wrote for the bass clarinet in A, Gunther
Schuller in his Duo Sonata (1949). He
kindly agreed to a telephone interview in
which he said that at the time of composition, he considered the bass in A to be
a perfectly reasonable choice since he
frequently heard it in the clarinet section of the Metropolitan Opera, in which
he was playing horn at the time. He did
think there was some difference in sound
but in his work, the key relationship between movements was the critical idea. If
a bass in A was not available it was perfectly acceptable to transpose it onto a
B-flat instrument. He agreed that it was
possible that composers such as Wagner
and Mahler could have considered that the
key in which the instrument was playing
might be important for reasons other than
technical ease.
The Forgotten Sound of the
Bass Clarinet in A
It is important to attempt at least some evaluation of the sound quality of the bass in
A, even though this will inevitably be subjective. The instrument in the Grove Collection (EUCHMI No. 5122) was kindly
made available for a playing test by the
Director, Prof. Arnold Myers. It is a Buffet Crampon dating from 1929, once used
in the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. It is in good playing condition though
pitched slightly high, at about a’ = 442, and
has two manual register keys. My perception was indeed that there is a similar, but
less marked, difference between the bass in
A and that in B-flat as there is between the
corresponding soprano instruments.
Some of the small number of performers who regularly use the bass in A were
interviewed: Dennis Smylie (New York),
Peter Stoll (Toronto) and Alan Andrews
(London). They agreed that it was much
more satisfactory to perform works written for the bass in A on that instrument.
And in July 2010 the Orchestra of the Age
of Enlightenment, who endeavour to play
on contemporary instruments, were able
to use the EUCHMI instrument (the earliest bass in A that could be obtained for
performance) in a performance of Tristan
at a BBC Promenade Concert. The bass
clarinetist Katherine Spencer commented
to the author:
...there was certainly I thought
an enormous difference in sound es-
pecially in the low register . Also a
general graininess that particularly
lent itself to emotion of this solo .
When played on the correct instrument I felt that the music played itself, whereas on the B-flat I felt that
I had to work hard on phrasing and
the right kind of sound .
Should, then, “period” – or even modern – orchestras revive this instrument
when playing the great works by composers such as Wagner, Mahler, Liszt and
Strauss? It is hard to make the case (apart
from ease of playing) in instances where
the A instrument was apparently chosen
for its lowest note within a thickly-scored
ensemble passage, but the case for solo
passages is strong . The primary approach
to historically-informed performance was
well outlined by Lawson (1983), and there
seems no reason to depart from it:
In tackling the complex problem of clarinet sonorities, I believe
we should follow the composer’s
instructions as closely as possible,
even where they appear conservative
or eccentric; any attempt to interpret
the motives for the choice of a particular clarinet must be undertaken
with caution . A knowledge of subsequent developments in instrumental
manufacture can pose a continuous
threat to an authentic approach .
The sound of the bass in A is moderately but significantly different from that
in B-flat . It is closer to the sound that the
composer imagined . It presents no obstacles to the player; in fact, parts written
for a bass in A can usually be played more
easily and more smoothly than on a bass
in B-flat, because they are normally in a
more natural key for the clarinet .
I believe that they should .
About the Writer…
8
prof. Keith bowen, FRS, qualified in
Metallurgy at Oxford University, UK, and
spent 30 years as an engineering professor and researcher, followed by 10 years
as technical director of a public scientific
instrument company . Since (partially!)
retiring in 2005 he studied for a Diploma
in Music and MA in Music at the Open
University (UK), both awarded with Distinction . He specialized in classical-period
performance practice and in the history of
the bass clarinet in A . He was awarded the
first prize in the I .C .A . Research Competition at ClarinetFest® 2011, Austin, TX,
for a presentation on the work on the bass
clarinet in A .
A lifelong amateur clarinetist, he
performs with the pro-am Spires Philharmonic Orchestra, Coventry, UK, is
President of Kammermusik Workshops
(Santa Fe, NM USA), and is a woodwind
coach at the Ischia Chamber Music Festival. He has studied clarinet with Lesley
Schatzberger (UK), Lori Lovato (New
Mexico Symphony Orchestra) and Forest
Aten (Dallas Opera). He plays Wurlitzer
Schmidt Reform A, B-flat and C clarinets,
Stephen Fox basset horns and E-flat clarinet and a Buffet Prestige bass clarinet.
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Endnotes
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Fétis (1833, 122) Pur que ces nouveaux instrumens conservent autant d’analogie qu’il est possible avec la clarinette soprano, ilest nécessaire
de ne point en altérer la forme; je pense donc
que MM . Dacosta et Buffet ont mieux attaint le
butque M . Streitwolf en ne courbant pas le tube
de leur clarinette basse, et en facilitant le jeu de
l’instrument par un bocal incline auquel s’adapte
le bec .
Haynes, 2002
The methodology was developed from the theory
given by Benade (1990, 450) and from discussions with the clarinet maker and acoustician
Stephen Fox .
Frank Bär catalogue
quoted in Holde, Mendel and Wagner, 1941
(Tremmel 1993, 214)
Von Georg Ottensteiner stammten die Instrumente für seinen Freund Baermann, “eine B
Clarinette (System Bärmann) von braungebeiztem Buchs), Klappen und Garnitur von Silber”
(160 fl .), dazu je “eine A und C clarinette von
braungebeiztem Buchs, Klappen und Garnitur
von Neusilber” zu je 100 fl, ein “Mundstück zu
den obigen drei Clarinetten mit Mechanik und
Auflage von Silber” zu 22 fl, “eine A Baßklarinette, Klappen und Garnitur von Neusilber” des
weiteren arbeitete er für 30 fl die alte A-Baßklarinette in eine B-Baßklarinette um und lieferte für
7 fl “eine Mundstück zu der A und B Baßklarinette mit Silberauflage” und “ein Bassethorn …”
Tremmel, 1993, 214
(Weston 1971, 150)
e-mail of 14 September 2009
Wo “C” clarinetten vorgeschrieben, ist es absolute unzüläßig dieselben durch A oder B Clarinetten zu ersetzen .
Visit the
International
Clarinet
Association
on the
World Wide Web:
www.ClArInet.org
D .N . Leeson in The Clarinet (1993)
G . Joppig (2005)
‘Artur Niloff’ (Heinrich Schenker) 1908; cited in
Joppig 2005 p . 154 note 22)
A . Rice (2009)
Advertised in K.K. Prager Oberpostamtszeitun
(1793- cited in Rice 2009, 258)
(Rice 2009, 268 for American and 378–384 for
European bands)
Mandel, Charles (1859) A Treatise on the Instrumentation of Military Bands. London: Boosey &
Sons, p 18 .
* * * * *
It is a pleasure to acknowledge the generous advice of Albert Rice, Daniel Leeson,
Stephen Fox, the many performers whom
I consulted and the staff of the Prague,
Edinburgh, Munich, Leipzig, Nuremberg,
Brussels and Smithsonian musical instrument museums who kindly allowed me to
examine bass clarinets in their collections .
This article has also appeared in German: Keith Bowen, “Aufsteig und Fall der
Bassklarinette in A,” ‘rohrblatt 26 (2011)
pp . 3–12 .
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51
PlayingIn Tune
onthe
B
Clarinet
by Raphael Sanders
efore beginning to address the
clarinet’s tuning requirements, remember that the clarinet must be
played with solid fundamentals in order to
properly understand and apply the following skills . Each one has a major effect on
the ability to consistently play in tune and
to effectively adjust to others .
1) Proper support and air speed: good tonal core, warm, dark, and centered tone
2) Correct embouchure and tongue placement
3) Relaxed and proper hand position
Only after understanding and applying
the above three fundamentals can you begin to effectively and consistently address
your tuning needs .
In order to play in tune, clarinetists
must master three skills:
1)understandingthe
instrumentandits
intonationcharacteristics
After warming up for about 10 minutes,
use a tuner and check the instrument . Start
with open “G” to adjust the barrel . Next,
check “C” below the staff and “G” on top
of the staff to adjust the middle joint . If the
reed is too stiff the instrument may register
sharp or, if it is too soft, it may be flat . Also,
pull the bell about 1/16” . This will allow
the throat tones to have more tonal body .
Make a chart of the instrument’s particular intonation characteristics from low
E to high G . (On bass clarinet start from
low C .) On this chart label four columns:
1stcolumn (titled “Notes”) . List the notes
chromatically up from low “E” (C on
bass clarinet) to high “G .”
2nd column (titled “pp”) . List the intonation tendencies of each note played
pianissimo with no help or adjusting
whatsoever . Use: + = sharp, – = flat
(i .e ., +40, -30 = 40 cents sharp, 30
cents flat) .
3rdcolumn (titled “mF”) . List the intonation tendencies of each note played mf
52
with no help or adjusting whatsoever .
Open “G”, low “C”, “G” on top of the
staff should (hopefully) be right on (because these notes were tuned) .
4thcolumn (titled “FF”) . List the intonation tendencies of each note played ff
with no help or adjusting whatsoever .
You will now see what your clarinet’s
tendencies are . Remember you will be
sharp when you play softly and flat when
you play loudly . This is inherent in the
acoustics of the clarinet . Other instruments are the reverse in this tendency
which makes it very difficult to play in
tune with other instruments . Additionally,
each clarinet has its own personal problems, along with particular mouthpiece,
reed, air/speed/support, tongue and embouchure issues/differences .
2)Recognizingand
diagnosingintonation
discrepanciescorrectly
andquickly
With a tuner, sound an “F .” Then play an
open “G .” Do you hear waves? If you do,
you are out of tune with the sound on the
tuner . “Out-of-tune” can be defined as the
presence of clashing waves . The absence
of waves is defined as in-tune . Try again
with your tuner to match pitch . Are you flat
or sharp? Can you tell? Work to achieve
the confidence to recognize the difference .
Intervals can also be played in-tune .
Sound the same “F” on your tuner and
play a middle-line “B” on your clarinet .
Are there any waves? This is a major 3rd . A
major 3rd must be compacted to be in-tune:
about 14 cents! Try it . Minor intervals
must expand and major intervals contract .
Although you will not be in tune with the
tuner, you will be in tune with the interval!
This is the most important aspect of
playing in tune: being able to immediately
recognize the problem, or potential problem, and knowing what needs to be done
to fix it . Your ear training skills must come
The Clarinet
to bear to know what part of the chord you
are playing as soon as you are about to
play it .
majorChord:3rd – 14 cents flat; 5th – 2
cents sharp
minorChord:3rd – 16 cents sharp; 5th – 2
cents sharp
You may also use a clip-on microphone, plugged into a tuner, to check your
efforts at pitch recognition . Simply try to
match the sound source and glance at the
tuner to see if you are successful . Also
this technique may be varied to examine
the tuning characteristics of an ensemble
(what you must do to play in tune with the
group) . Never use a microphone/tuner setup as a standard to follow and not listen
and adjust to the group you are in .
3)havingtheflexibility
tobeabletoadjustquickly
toany(ormost)tuning
issue(s)
There are five important techniques to
control or adjust pitch while playing the
clarinet .
1)Embouchure pressure and throat
expansion. With just the mouthpiece
match a “B-flat” on the piano . Once
accomplished, be able to play down
to “E-flat” and up to “C-sharp .” This
will take some time . Be patient . Always produce a good clear tone on the
mouthpiece . Keep your lips firm to
form the letter “O” around the mouthpiece and keep your chin pointed . Be
mindful to also push down with the upper lip . A good test of control is to play
“taps,” starting on “E-flat” or “E .” This
will help you to develop the flexibility
to adjust pitch with your embouchure
and throat .
2) Tongue height/position. Experiment
with moving your tongue while play
an open “G .” Move your tongue up and
down slowly . Notice the pitch change .
3) Air speed/support. While playing
open G, notice the pitch change when
you blow fast/slow air through the clarinet . Also the pitch changes with supported/unsupported air . This method is
not preferred but may be used in certain situations .
4) Fingersandkeys.While playing open
“G” put your right hand down . Notice
the pitch drop . Conversely, open the
RH side B-flat key while playing the
same “G .” Notice the pitch rise . Pitch
will rise on the clarinet when opening
keys and lower when shading or closing keys . A firm grasp of this technique
will help you in dynamic changes and
evenness in general .
5) Combinationsoftheabove.Using the
above techniques independently or in
combination will help you adjust and
temper your tuning in all (or most) situations .
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Use the “Tuning CD” to experiment
with adjusting tuning . Practice each note
carefully and decide on what works for
you . Have a system that you use to adjust
to various intervals and dynamics . Use
the tuning CD when playing long tones,
scales, etudes and any other exercises or
solos you may see fit . Hopefully your
ears/control will develop to such a degree
to play in tune with anyone, anytime .
Remember—in order to play in tune
you must acquire three important skills:
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When it comes to clarinets, our expert advice
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About the Writer…
Dr . Raphael P . Sanders, Jr is currently associate professor of clarinet at the Crane
School of Music, SUNY Potsdam . Dr .
Sanders holds degrees from the University
of Hawaii, the SF Conservatory of Music
and UNT . Raphael’s clarinet mentors include Robert Marcellus, David Breeden,
Henry Miyamura and James Gillespie .
Originally from Hawaii, Raphael has performed with orchestras in San Francisco,
Houston and New York, the USAF Band,
and has taught at the college level in Texas
and Nevada . He is a member of the acclaimed group Texas Clarinet Consort .
Raphael performed his New York City debut recital in June 2005 . He also co-directs
the renowned Crane Clarinet Choir . Dr .
Sanders is a performing artist with Buffet Crampon, and Rico International . He
is currently the I .C .A . NY State Chair . In
1997 Raphael established the I .C .A . Orchestral Audition Competition . He currently performs exclusively on Buffet
Clarinets and Rico Reserve Classic Reeds .
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September 2011
53
SABRe
Symposium
A Report by Sarah Watts
T
he first SABRe symposium was
held in Zurich, Switzerland on
February 3 & 4, 2011 .
SABRe (Sensor Augmented Bass
Clarinet research) is a project that aims to
build an electroacoustic bass clarinet that
hopefully in the future will be manufactured and available to all bass clarinetists
around the world .
Hosted by the Swiss bass clarinetist
Matthias Müller, the symposium consisted of lecture recitals and discussions
on the development and future of SABRe
by selected and invited bass clarinetists
from around the world and composers and
technical experts in the field of electroacoustic music and specialist instrument
makers and repairers . This was an exciting gathering of many of the world’s top
bass clarinet specialists . It offered a rare
opportunity to catch up with friends, meet
other players to discuss what’s happening
in the solo bass clarinet world, as well as
to offer opinions on the SABRe project .
The symposium started with a presentation of a prototype of the new sensored
bass clarinet, brief demonstrations as to
how it will work and the technology involved in creating it . The concept of the
project is to extend the possibilities of an
acoustic bass clarinet by adding various
types of sensors to the instrument, thus allowing the performer to control external
electronic devices .
One could make a loose comparison
to an EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument)
which has been around for some years and
now widely available around the world . In
the case of SABRe, existing knowledge of
augmenting instruments has been used in
the development of the project and we saw
how magnetic key sensors, switches and
movement sensors have been attached to
the instrument . AirMEMS technology is
also being developed and will be built into
the mouthpiece as an additional sensor
meaning the mouthpiece can be used as an
acoustic mouthpiece or as a wind controller by the performer controlling air pressure levels . This is a truly exciting venture
and caused much excitement and future visions to all that witnessed this introduction .
There was a program of lecture recitals
throughout the two days in which a varied
Discussion hosted by Matthias Müller
Henri Bok trying out SABRe
54
The Clarinet
Close-up of SABRe
selection of music covering a range of musical genres was given . There were many
highlights and fantastic performances as
expected, starting with a very interesting
talk from Netherlands-based Laura Carmichael on how dance influences have
helped her to form a career using music,
electroacoustics and movement as an integral part of her performances . Other highlights for me were the Austrian bass clarinet duo of Petra Stump and Heinz-Peter
Linshalm, Henri Bok (Netherlands) who
performed an exquisite set of short pieces,
and a performance of music using audio
visuals and sampled effects by Stephan
Vermeersch (Belgium) . Alain Billard
(France), Rocco Parisi (Italy) and Ernesto
at ICST are doing a fantastic job creating
the software to enable SABRe to develop
and work, and there was a lot of support
for all the performing musicians during
event . One question that arose for me
the event
over the past two days is how can we as
performing musicians using computers
Mike Lowenstern with
his full set-up playing
at Club Voltaire
End-of-symposium bass clarinet choir
Molinari (Switzerland) presented works
that used an array of pedals, computers,
processing and samples—some pieces
more successful and easy to listen to than
others, but all demonstrating and giving
ideas about how SABRe could influence
composers in the future . Volker Hemken
(Germany), Eric Mandat (USA) and Alex
Sramek (USA) gave much needed lighter
relief to the schedule . I will never forget
Eric’s unqiue X files introduction to his
first piece and Alex’s research into how
loud he can amplify a bass clarinet in or-
der to play in a heavy metal band
was true entertainment and very
loud! The first evening ended
with improvisation in Club Voltaire by Ogyz Büyükberber (Turkey) followed by a fantastic set
by Michael Lowenstern (USA)
who always raises the roof with
his own compositions .
The interesting aspect of the
symposium for me was the electroacoustic and technology side
of things . The team of engineers
September 2011
55
in performance be encouraged to become
more independent with regards to using and
setting up computers/mics/sound systems
etc . Funding issues and logistics often make
it hard for performers to travel with their
own sound engineer, and while performers
are proficient with their instruments not all
are equally as confident with the technology
needed to perform certain compositions . A
Alex Sramek – the world’s
loudest bass clarinetist
The instrument and ideas
Contacts for
The Clarinet
Send all articles, recital programs, orders for back issues,
announcements and any other non-commercial items
intended for publication in The Clarinet to:
James Gillespie, Editor/Publisher
405 Santiago Place, Denton, Texas 76205
few presentations had minor technical hitches at the Symposium,
but we are all sympathetic to the odd gremlin and it in no way
affected the success of the event . I do think that with SABRe being so reliant on computing and technology the whole topic of
how musicians deal with and learn how to operate and understand
computers is very important and should be considered during the
development of not only this project, but electroacoustic performances in general .
I am personally very excited about the future of SABRe and
am interested to see the next stages of development and attending
the second SABRe symposium . One question asked was could it
become a Frankenstein of an instrument with the huge amount of
possibilities it has to play with? I think the answer is potentially
yes —but I am also very confident with Matthias Müller influencing and heading the project that every area and potential issue will
be very carefully considered and resolved, resulting in a very satisfying end product at some point in the future .
56
Send all printed materials (music, books, etc.)
intended for review in The Clarinet to:
Gregory Barrett, Editor of Reviews
School of Music, Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, IL 60115, 815/753-8004
Send all recordings intended for review in The Clarinet to:
William Nichols, Audio Review Editor
1033 Fawn Hollow, Bossier City, Louisiana 71111
Send all inquiries about advertising to:
So Rhee, Executive Director
500 West Main Street, #513, Oklahoma City, OK 73102
Send all inquires about I.C.A. membership,
missing issues, notices of change of address, etc., to:
International Clarinet Association c/o Memberships
P.O. Box 237, Longmont, CO 80502
The Clarinet
ClarinetA
Clarinet Study at California
State University, Northridge
Department of Music
Reach Your Full
Clarinet Potential
The Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication is part of a vibrant,
diverse university community sited on a 356-acre campus in the heart of Los
Angeles’ San Fernando Valley and the entertainment industry. Check us out
and you will find ample evidence of Cal State Northridge’s commitment to the
educational and professional goals of our students.
CSUN MUSiC PrograM offerS:
Programs of Study for Clarinet
Bachelor of Music in Performance
Bachelor of Arts in Music Education
Bachelor of Arts in Music Therapy
Bachelor of Arts in Music Industry
Bachelor of Arts in Breadth Studies
Master of Music in Performance
Julia Heinen, Professor of Clarinet
find out more at: www.csun.edu/music
ClarinetAd-rev.indd 1
12/1/10 10:12 AM
ConCert review
REEDPLAY
Southbank Centre • Monday June 6, 2011
VICTORIA SOAMES SAMEK
(clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone)
SARAH MARKHAM (soprano and alto saxophones)
MICHAEL BELL (piano)
Guest artist PAUL TURNER (piano)
I
A Review by Paul Harvey
have often said and written that had
the saxophone existed in the 18th century, the soprano would have been one
of Handel’s favorite instruments . His Trio
Sonata Op. 1, no. 10, which opened the
concert, was ample proof of this, as Sarah’s rich and authentically baroque soprano sound was beautifully complimented
by Victoria’s understated yet strongly supportive bass clarinet .
James Rae’s Sonata in E-flat for alto
saxophone and piano was written especially for Sarah Markham and Paul Turner,
perhaps in gratitude for their superb CD
of his four Sonatinas for the four sizes of
saxophone . It is a supreme example of the
composer’s melodic fluency, harmonic ingenuity and complete mastery of the instrument’s possibilities . The last movement,
subtitled Eurostar, is not quite as overtly
locomotive-driven as the train-obsessed
composer’s Southern Sketches, but it certainly whisks us across the Channel with
no fear of becoming stuck in the tunnel!
Tim Watts, in his Sonata, explores
many different facets of clarinet and piano effects . There are declamatory wide
leaps between the extremes of the clarinet
registers and some very effective unison
sforzandi between the two instruments .
This is by no means a piano accompaniment, rather an equal duo of two different voices, which is what a contemporary
work of this nature should be .
In Richard Rodney Bennett’s Ballad in
Memory of Shirley Horn for clarinet and
piano, we can hear why this most successful of film composers could be classified
as “the serious face of jazz .”
The first half ended with a Divertimento for two alto saxophones and piano
by Alain Crepin, the former Director of
Music of the Belgian Air Force Band . (I
remember I was having dinner with him
in Munich on September 11, 2001, after hearing the dreadful news from New
York, and he was anxiously phoning Brussels on his mobile to find out if he should
report back for duty .) I was particularly
interested in this item, as I’d never heard
Victoria play the saxophone before, and
she now has my old job at The Royal
Military School of Music, Kneller Hall,
which involves teaching saxophone as
Expert Clarinet Repairs and Retail
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58
The Clarinet
well as clarinet . I was most impressed,
as she has obviously taken the saxophone
very seriously, producing a lovely sound
which blended faultlessly with Sarah . Indeed, she even upstaged Sarah by having a
BIGGER alto saxophone, i .e . one of those
low A jobbies! (Perhaps we should call it
a basset saxophone!)
After the interval Victoria returned to
the platform to make complete nonsense
of the anti-doubling factions (which,
amazingly, still exist in certain French
and American circles) by playing what
I consider the most difficult piece to bring
off well of the entire clarinet repertoire; the
Debussy Première Rapsodie. I have rarely
heard it played with such fluent clarity of articulation and finely controlled pianissimo .
Sarah then lightened the mood with
Richard Rodney Bennett’s Three Piece
Suite. Not the most original of titles, but a
really well written, entertaining work .
Chris Jolly’s TRIp (sic) was commissioned by Reedplay for this concert . I often play bass clarinet with my saxophone
pupils, and we become quite addicted to
the sound of this combination . Chris has
devised more possibilities with the piano’s
percussive contributions, and many contemporary techniques are used with ingenuity and effectiveness .
The girls announced that there would
be no encores after the last item, as Ibert’s
Two Interludes is in the nature of an encore, as the second, in Franco-Flamenco
style, most certainly is . The original was
for piano or harp, with flute and violin,
which two parts have been very well transcribed for soprano saxophone and clarinet .
All through the amazingly varied program the impressive virtuosity and musicality of the two pianists was greatly appreciated by the audience . Michael Bell
is the regular pianist with Reedplay, and
Paul Turner is Sarah Markham’s individual accompanist .
This concert was a perfect celebration
of clarinet and saxophone co-operation,
brilliantly performed by all the participants, and, above all, a wonderful evening’s entertainment .
Visit the
International Clarinet
Association on
the world wide web:
www.ClARINEt.oRg
2012 HIGH SCHOOL SOLO COMPETITION
Eligibility: Competition participants must be 18 years old or younger as of June 30, 2012.
Application: Please submit an online application at www.clarinet.org and mail a print-out of the confirmation page along with
your other application materials. It is recommended that if you are mailing outside of the United States to send your
application via express mail to ensure that your entry arrives in time for judging. Send materials postmarked no later
than Thursday, April 5, 2012 to:
Elizabeth Crawford, D.M., Coordinator
2012 I.C.A. High School Solo Competition
Ball State University, School of Music MI 134
Muncie, Indiana 47306
Phone: (765) 285-5427 • E-mail: [email protected]
Contest Rules
Application fee: $50 US. All applicants must be members of the I.C.A. and submit the online competition
application form on www.clarinet.org. Please mail the print-out of the confirmation page as this will serve as
proof of I.C.A. membership and payment of application fee. Non-members wishing to apply may join the I.C.A.
by including the appropriate membership fee with their contest application fee. If you choose the option to pay
by check or money order in the online application process, please be sure to include appropriate payment with your
application materials. The application fee is non-refundable.
II. Recording Instructions: Please provide a high quality recording on compact disk (CD-R) containing the following
repertoire in the exact order listed. Repertoire must be with accompaniment when appropriate. Each selection/movement
should be ID coded as tracks. Audiocassettes will not be accepted. Please be aware that the quality of the recording will
influence the judges. Recordings should not be edited and only continuous performances of entire works or movements
are allowed
I.
1. Bohuslav Martinů, Sonatina
2. Béla Kovács, Hommage à C. Debussy
III. A photocopy of the contestant’s driver’s license, passport or birth certificate as proof of age.
IV. Both the private teacher, if any, and the contestant attest, in a separate written and signed statement, that the recording
is the playing of the contestant and has not been edited.
V. A summer address, telephone number and e-mail address (all if possible) should be provided. E-mail is the preferred
means of communication. Please check your e-mail regularly as this is how you will be contacted.
Judging
Judging of recordings will be conducted with no knowledge of the contestant. Do not include any identification on the
CD-R or box. There should be no speaking on the recording, such as announcing of compositions.
Preliminary judging will be by taped audition. Finalists will be chosen by committee. Notification will be sent by Friday May
11, 2012. Final round will be held at the ClarinetFest® 2012 in Lincoln, Nebraska, August 1-5, 2012. Repertoire will consist
of the works listed above. Memorization for the final round of competition is not required.
Past first-prize winners are not eligible to compete. All contestants will accept the decision of the judges as final. The I.C.A .
will provide a pianist for all finalists. All finalists will receive free registration at ClarinetFest® 2012. Travel and other expenses
will be the responsibility of the contestant.
All recordings will become the property of the I.C.A. and will not be returned.
PrizeS
First prize - $1,000 U.S. • Second prize - $750 U.S. • Third prize - $500 U.S.
The International Clarinet Association assumes no tax liability that competition winners may incur through receiving prize money.
Individuals are responsible for investigating applicable tax laws and reporting prize winnings to requisite government agencies.
September 2011
59
The Little Harlequin
by Santiago Martínez Abad
General Comments
T
he Dance of the Harlequin, originally the eighth and last movement
of the composition entitled Harlequin, became a piece in its own that was
called The Little Harlequin. The première
was on the 3rd of August 1977 at the Centre Sirius in Aix-en-Provence, interpreted
and danced by Suzanne Stephens, to
whom this piece was dedicated.
As an extension of Harlequin, The Little Harlequin has some rhythms that are
danced and others that are interpreted by
the clarinet, which are merged to form an
equally important unit to which the audience must listen with the same attention;
as such, the dynamics that appear in the
score affect both the former and the latter.
The role of the interpreter of this piece is
that of a roguish and exuberant musiciandancer who could inspire a more versatile
type of interpreter for the future.
In the score’s foreword the composer
points out that even though the performance and lighting instructions are the
same as for Harlequin, the costumes are
different. The lighting is very important at
certain moments of the piece, and requires
the technician to work in coordination
with the performer so as to help the latter
transmit certain sensations to the public,
especially at times like the Cadenza or the
long trill.
To study this work I recommend focusing on small fragments at slow tempos until all details of articulations, air column,
dynamics, notes tuning, changes of tempo,
etc. are rendered perfectly. When the performer is fully satisfied with a fragment,
he/she can start increasing speed until the
one indicated in the score is reached, and
then to slow down in order to start again
from the same tempo, but this time by
memory. This will no longer seem to be
insurmountable, since the score has become very familiar as a result of all the
previous hard work.
I would like to suggest other forms
of study that can be used to prepare this
piece. One of them is to work without
the clarinet, initially to learn the danced
60
rhythm and the body posture in each phase
of the piece. Another approach is to divide
some fragment which is difficult to perform in intermediate phases.
A basic aspect to bear in mind in performing this piece, and in general with all
of Stockhausen’s music, is the clarinetist’s
facial expression and the visual communication he/she must establish with the audience. As a general work premise, these
aspects must always be considered as important as the composition’s technical difficulties, regardless of how great the latter
may be.
With respect to the stage area, it is important to remember that the composer’s
notations are always made in reference
to the spectators’ point of view; in other
words, when he indicates that at the beginning the musician comes on stage from
the right and leaves the same way at the
end, the right side of the stage is always
construed from the spectators’ viewpoint.
K. Stockhausen is a composer who expresses his intentions with great precision
in his scores, and these must be followed
as closely as possible during the performance, together with the dynamics, rhythms
and tempos as well. This of course does
not prevent the clarinetist from creating
his/her own version of the piece, which
will mainly depend on aspects such as the
choreography, the choice and implementation of movements, even though most are
already indicated by the composer, and facial expressions to communicate with the
audience. Furthermore, some aspects such
as choreography, for example, will have
to be adapted on occasions, depending on
stage conditions.
I would like to briefly describe the
general movements used in the rhythmic counterpoint and the ones performed
by the feet. Usually the feet are simply
stamped flat on the floor, but at other
times the heels do the stamping, with the
toes pointing upwards. A movement that
is often associated to the previous two is
to draw a circle with the leg that is free after stamping the floor, either at floor level
or in the air, as the clarinetist prefers. On
The Clarinet
occasions the left leg has to be raised as
an upbeat of the next stamp; on others the
performer has to tip-toe or jump elevating
his/her knees.
An element of tempo frequently used
in the score is the Breit, which means
“wide,” the author says; much slower, note
by note, and the same for the gestures. As
an element of reference, the tempo can be
reduced by one half.
When dynamics such as mP, P or PP
appear, the clarinetist must bear in mind
that they include melodic fragments in
both the high and low registers, so that
in the high ones special attention must be
paid to ensure that the dynamics are not in
fact higher.
Formal Structure of the
Composition
The Little Harlequin begins with an Introduction consisting of the first two staffs of
the first page. The First Section goes from
the third staff of the first page to the second staff on the fourth. The Cadenza goes
from the third staff of the fourth page to
the sixth staff on page five. The Second
Section goes from the seventh staff of
page five to the end of page seven. Finally,
there is the Final Section or Coda on page
eight, the last part of the composition.
The Introduction of the score begins
with a long trill and a series of arpeggios
which constitute, without a doubt, the
most difficult part from a technical point
of view. In the First Section the melody of
the clarinet appears polyphonically united
to the rhythm marked by the feet. The Cadenza comprises 10 staffs, each with its
own personality. The unity of “clarinet
melody-rhythmic counterpoint” continues
in the Second Section, and new melodicrhythmic material from Harlequin appears
in the Final Section or Coda, the character
of which differs from the rest of the piece.
Specific Comments Regarding the Composition
The Introduction begins with a long color
trill, for which the composer recommends
Example 1: Introduction of THE LITTLE HARLEQUIN
Example 2: First section of THE LITTLE HARLEQUIN. Fragment
September 2011
61
using circular breathing . The clarinetist enters the stage from the right, turning around in circles and making circular
movements until he/she faces the audience . Then there are three bars in which
the melody of the clarinet appears together
with the rhythmic counterpoint . The counterpoint consists of short and long sounds;
with the latter the free leg makes a circular
movement following the stamping of the
other foot . These bars have to be played
with the torso bent forward, moving the
instrument up and down depending on the
notes and the intervals between them .
Next, there are two series of arpeggios,
which is one of the most difficult parts of
the piece . In the first series there are two
arpeggios, one rising and the other descending, with four repetitions, in the middle of which there has to be a pause before
the highest C, the highest note . The left
foot has to stamp the floor at the same time
the first note of each repetition is played;
in each rise the clarinet is lifted to a horizontal position, and with the descent it is
lowered again . Each arpeggio has a diminuendo and a crescendo . In addition, with
each pause there has to be a movement .
I personally prefer using the left hand, as
if every time I shortened the clarinet one
fourth of its length, more or less .
The second series of repetitions (this
time there are nine) is played without interruptions if circular breathing is possible
and if not, a breath can be taken between
the fifth and the sixth repetition, for example . In the rising arpeggios the clarinet has
to be raised until it is more or less horizontal, and then lowered in the descending ones . This movement is accompanied
by raising and lowering the body, with the
knees bent . Every time the highest C is
played in the repetitions, the right knee is
bent and the left leg is swung backwards
and to the side . Like in the first series, in
each arpeggio there is a diminuendo and
a crescendo; in addition, the general dynamics are kept at FF during the first three
repetitions, reduced from the fourth to the
sixth and increased again from the seventh
to the ninth . During the general diminuendo, the clarinetist closes his/her eyes
little by little, and then opens them again
during the next general crescendo .
This second series of arpeggios is very
difficult, because the notes are very high
and because of the large number of body
movements that have to be coordinated
62
Santiago Martínez Abad
with the melody . For this reason it should
be studied in different phases, perfecting
a specific aspect in each one before going
on to the next . You can start working with
the notes of the melody, and then add the
dynamics . I think it is easier to start with
a crescendo in the rising arpeggio and a
diminuendo in the descending one . When
you fully control doing it this way, then
you can start working on the dynamics indicated on the score . Then I recommend
adding the movement to raise the instrument, perhaps up to 60º at the beginning,
and then until you reach the horizontal position . At that point the most difficult part
is over, and you can add the movement
of lowering and raising the body with the
knees bent, and finally the one swinging
the left leg backwards and to the side .
This fragment of the composition is a real
challenge for the clarinetist, and the air
column, embouchure, coordination of the
body movements, their grace and naturalness, in addition to the facial expressions,
which irrespective of the technical difficulties, must reflect happiness, excitement
and enthusiasm at all times—we cannot
forget that we are interpreting a harlequin .
The Introduction finishes with a highest C and a fermata, during which there
are a few accents accompanied by the left
leg kicking into the air, as if it were not
the musician’s and he/she was surprised
by what it was doing .
During the First Section the polyphonic fusion of the clarinet’s melody
is combined at all times with the danced
rhythm of the feet . Once again there are
The Clarinet
short and long sounds accompanied by a
choreography that uses all the stage area,
the clarinetist at times facing the audience, at others facing one side, then another, and then with the back to the audience . At times he/she tip toes across the
stage, or jumps up and down raising his/
her knees . There is a vibrato effect on a
few long notes, with variations of speed .
We must recall that Stockhausen wrote the
score with great precision, which is why
it is important to distinguish well the different articulations of the notes, indicated
with points, tenuto, accents, or without
anything specified – all of them have to
have their own personality, duration and
features . Furthermore, the precision of
the dynamics must always be taken into
account . On occasions an mP, P or FF
is maintained for long passages, and this
must be done regardless of the register of
the notes used . Finally, in this First Section there are several changes of tempo,
in addition to the Breits mentioned earlier .
The Cadenza comprises 10 staffs that
have their own personality, each of which
ends with a fermata and a pause that varies in length each time . Here the composer
wants the clarinetist to address the audience with passion and to play them as if
they were the words of a speaker, looking
in different directions or at different persons in the audience during his/her speech .
Each phrase must also have a different dynamics, as well as a contrasting character
or mood . During these phrases the clarinet
can move with spiral-like movements in
the air; the beginnings and endings have to
be very emphatic, and the first note, usually
C (third space in the staff), of each phrase
comprising 10 groups with different numbers of notes, has to be highlighted.
The character and melodic-rhythmic
material of the Second Section are similar to
the First, with the exception that this time
the performer makes a large spiral movement on the whole stage, which is only interrupted by a long trill. At the beginning
of this Second Section there is a humorous
part, the “Fortsetzung MARSCHTANZ,”
which is played leaning forward and walking fast in a spiral motion, as mentioned.
Once again we find all of the dynamics and
articulations of the First Section. In the “a
tempo” of the third staff on page six, the
FFF becomes a P, the forward inclination of the body is replaced by shrugging
shoulders and sunken chest and stomach,
changing the character of the phrase but
maintaining the spiral dance movement. At
the end of this part there is a long trill, for
which circular breathing is recommended,
and which begins with the performer turning in circular spiral movements, changing
directions. At that point the choreography
depends on the clarinetist and the stage
area: he/she can hide from the audience,
only showing parts of his/her body or of
the instrument, coming out on stage if possible, but always joking with the audience,
with great empathy. Here the collaboration
of the lighting technician is essential. With
the clarinetist, they will have agreed on a
series of movements in which the spotlights will follow and look for the musician-mime, when he/she is out of sight, all
over the stage, the walls, ceiling and other
areas of the hall. During all this time the
trill has been maintained, and at this point
the speed can vary, together with the height
of the bell of the clarinet, with small rotations to achieve different spatial effects.
The Second Section then continues
with a phrase in P and PPP, and another
“MARSCHTANZ,” this one faster and
more difficult to play because it is interspersed with two melodies, one with a
high pitch register and the other with a
low pitch. When the high pitch is played,
the clarinet must turn to the left and when
the low pitch is played, it must turn to the
right, similar to the changes of direction
found in IN FREUNDSCHAFT, while
the player continues to advance along the
edge of the stage.
Finally, the Coda begins in the middle
of the stage with melodic-rhythmic mate
rial that differs from the rest of the piece
borrowed from Harlequin, and that has
a very different character. This part is an
ardent dance, facing the audience, with
mostly short dance rhythms, with no legs
circling, very similar to tap dancing or flamenco steps; perhaps more the latter, in my
opinion, because of the descending movement of the stamping. This frenetic dance,
with the clarinet’s melody and danced
rhythm, culminates in a finale which is
only rhythm, with the performer using as
much of the stage as possible to prepare
his/her exit on the right side, after turning
to face the audience, and partially visible,
playing the last note and saying goodbye.
Too
Eclectic
Conclusion
This piece by Karlheinz Stockhausen,
which lasts about 10 minutes, is considered to be one of the major compositions
of the solo clarinet repertoire because of
the beauty of its music, the use of other
interpretative aspects, such as rhythmic
counterpoint, choreography, mime, the
importance of expressive communication
by the clarinetist-mime with the audience
through facial movements, and as evidenced with the previous analysis and in
the author’s own words, because it “could
inspire a new type of music, more versatile, for the future.”
If you want to watch a performance
of the piece you can find it in my blog:
“CLARINET DE FUSTA” in http://santiagomartinezabad.blogspot.com
About the Writer…
Santiago Martínez Abad, clarinetist,
studied at the Superior Conservatory of
Music of Valencia, Spain; at the Royal
Flemish Conservatory of Antwerp (Belgium) with W. Boeykens and bass clarinet
with J. Guns; and at the School of Music
of Bobbio (Italy) with Hans Deinzer. He
has taken courses with A. Damiens, H.
Sparnaay and E. Hoeprich. He has been a
clarinet teacher in different conservatories
in Valencia and in Andalusia, and is presently teaching at the Professional Conservatory “Gonzalo Martín Tenllado” in Málaga. He has performed with the Spanish
National Orchestra, the O.R.T.V. of Belgium and the Orchestra of Cordoba. He is
a member of several chamber groups specialized in 20th and 21st century music.
He is currently studying K. Stockhausen’s
music for clarinet with Suzanne Stephens.
September 2011
The new CD from
Ralph Williams
Clarinet & Bass Clarinet
Featuring a new arrangement of
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Roumanian Folk Dances
for Clarinet and
String Orchestra
✤
Gerald Finzi’s
Five Bagatelles
for Clarinet and Piano
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The premier of
Patrice Williams’
Concerto for
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“Volga Nights” and “Nielsen Clarinet Concerto”
63
In Memory of
George Crossman
Maker of the Reedual
1931-2011
by Kathryne Pirtle
C
larinetists all over the world have
been able to make wonderful,
long-lasting hand-made reeds for
more than 40 years by virtue of the Reedual machine, which was produced by a
great ally to our craft—George Crossman.
George was absolutely dedicated to beautiful clarinet sound.
George was born in Connecticut in
1931. After playing clarinet in high school,
he moved to California where he attended
San Jose State and met his first wife, Shon.
Following graduation he worked at IBM
and for Lockheed Aerospace. He divorced
in the early 1960s and moved to Florida to
work for a company that built computers
for the space program.
A few years later, George met Sol
Rabinowitz who had worked in a hardware store and who was a clarinetist and
big band musician who had filled in with
Benny Goodman’s band. Sol had become
motivated to invent a reed machine after
seeing that Benny had reeds all over the
place and still couldn’t find a reed! In
1963 he patented the Reedual modeled after a key duplicating machine that could
accurately copy a reed. In 1986, after the
inventor died, George purchased the patent and rights to be able to continue making the dual. Since that time, clarinetists
have had a marvelous reed machine made
by a dedicated craftsman.
George taught calculus, electronics and
math at Broward Community college. He
loved golf, sports, art and music. Besides
the clarinet, he played many different types
of instruments including accordion, guitar
and ukulele and had a wonderful voice.
I have been making my reeds with the
dual for more than 20 years. As with all
reeds, I keep about only 20% of the ones
64
I make. However, these reeds last a very
long time. I often can practice on the same
reed for more than three months, and the
prize reeds that I set aside often play demanding chamber music concerts for well
over a year. In fact, I cannot imagine not
being able to make my reeds without this
machine!
The most remarkable testimony I can
give about the value of using the dual
was experienced during my first month
of making reeds in 1990. At the time, I
was preparing to play Beethoven 6 in the
orchestra and knew that I needed to have
many reed choices. As I had just began
making reeds, I felt that I needed a little
commercial reed “insurance” just in case
I didn’t make enough good reeds of my
own. I decided to purchase 20 boxes of
reeds. To my surprise, I was unable to
find even one reed that I could dedicate
to these performances! I played all the rehearsals and concerts on reeds I had just
learned to make! The question of whether
to make reeds was now closed forever!
Over the years I had many phone conversations with George. He was always
happy to help and loved to talk. My machine has only needed one repair in all of
the time I have been using it.
I received a call from George last summer. He said that Reedual sales had all
been by word-of-mouth and he felt he
wanted to find the best way to reach more
young clarinetists. We came up with some
great options. A few weeks later he told
me he had just gotten a big order from a
university, which was exciting news. Little did I know that this would be the last
time that I would talk to him.
In the first week of June I started receiving some prank e-mails from George.
The Clarinet
I was alerted of this because it appeared
that George’s e-mail list was stolen by
someone. I decided to call him and tell
him what was happening. I only got his
answering machine. To my astonishment,
on June 10, I got a call from his son Marty,
saying that George had just died yesterday! I was amazed by these communication events. It was as if George wanted to
find a way to tell us that he had passed. I
felt grateful to have had the honor of receiving his message and decided to make
sure that his work continued.
Here are anecdotes sent from some of
the clarinetists who have used the dual:
Michael Webster, Professor of
Clarinet, Rice University
I learned reed making from Stanley Hasty, the whittler, who discouraged machines of any kind. It took
me a few years to break down and
try a Reedual, but once I did, I was
hooked. What had taken perhaps
30 or 40 minutes of tedious work
now took a couple of minutes, and
the Reedual was able to reproduce
my model with perfect accuracy, far
better than my fallible self. George
was always forthcoming with assistance as needed, which for me
meant cheerful and inexpensive replacement of accessories and one
overhaul of the older machine. That
means that I had 40 years of total
satisfaction! So, thank you, George
for your many years of service, and
for an attitude of helping customers
without regard to personal profit.
We’ll miss you.
Christopher R. Nichold, DMA,
SSG, 312th Army Band, Concordia University, Clarinet
and Saxophone Instructor
I’ve used the Reedual off and on
over the last eight years. I’m saddened to hear of George’s passing.
He was such a professional and very
dedicated to his Reedual customers!
Every time I sent a machine to him,
he calibrated it to perfect working
order at a reasonable cost and returned it promptly. In fact, I had just
received a beautifully calibrated
Reedual back from him towards the
end of this May. He will be missed,
and I’m pleased to hear of his fam-
ily’s commitment to continuing his
legacy. The machine is a godsend to
single-reed players when manufactured reeds aren’t cutting it!
Larry Combs, Former Principal
Clarinetist, Chicago Symphony
Although I never met him, I did
use his Reedual device for at least
20 years with great success, only
giving it up when my playing and
teaching schedule became too dense
to devote the necessary time to it. I
will say that the hand-made reeds
were more consistent and lasted
longer than commercial reeds.
Randall S. Paul, Author: “An Investigation of Four
Prominent Clarinet Reed Making Methods,” UMI Dissertation 2001 and Clarinet Reed Making Strategies,
Including a Step-by-Step Process,
VDM Publishers, 2010.
I have been using the Reedual
for the majority of my professional
life and owe George a great debt
to thanks. We had many pleasant
phone conversations in the late 90’s
when he helped me with my doctoral
dissertation. I was researching reed
making and of course the Reedual
was a big part of it. Whenever I had
a problem, I would call George and
he would have some valuable insight about the problem. Soon, with
a little practice I was making some
terrific reeds and eventually this
machine became a favorite. I still
use it almost every day and it is the
backbone of my research today. He
will be missed.
* * * * *
In closing, I am happy to let all clarinetists know that one of our top craftsman
and repairman, Rick Sayre of Sayre Woodwinds in Lombard, Illinois, is overseeing
a transition of the Reedual to continue its
availability. We will keep you informed of
this development. You can enjoy a fantastic interview about George Crossman and
his Reedual at http://vimeo.com/7113687.
September 2011
About the Writer…
Kathryne Pirtle, clarinetist, is executive
director of the Orion Ensemble. Ms. Pirtle
has served as principal clarinetist of the
Lake Forest Symphony since 1990. Her
other orchestral affiliations include the
Lyric Opera Orchestra, Ravinia Festival
Orchestra, Chicago Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Grant
Park Symphony. In 2004 Hal Leonard
Corporation released her solo album of
selected Bach unaccompanied cello and
violin suites and sonatas transcribed for
the clarinet by Himie Voxman, the first recording of these transcriptions.
Ms. Pirtle has also co-authored a book
on healing and building health with nutrient-dense foods called Performance without Pain (2006), published by New Trends.
Kathryne has taught privately for more
than 30 years. She gives master classes
on clarinet and chamber music literature,
pedagogy and artist development. She has
served on the faculties of Wheaton College
Conservatory of Music, as well as Northern Illinois University, Bradley University,
Indiana University and New Trier High
School. Ms. Pirtle studied extensively with
Larry Combs, former principal clarinetist
of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
65
Stanle asty
y
H
(192 11)
0-20
by Eli
zabeth Gunlogson
S
tanley Hasty, considered one of the
most respected and successful clarinetists and pedagogues of the 20thcentury, died on June 22, 2011 in Rochester, New York. He was 91 years old.
Originally from Nebraska, Hasty studied
at the Eastman School of Music and the
Juilliard School before embarking on a
long and successful musical career.
From 1943–68 Hasty held the position
of principal clarinet in six major orchestras: the National Symphony Orchestra,
the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra,
the Cleveland Orchestra, the Baltimore
Symphony Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. In these ensembles he
worked with many of the most influential
conductors and musicians of the second
half of the twentieth century. His legacy as
a principal clarinetist is preserved for future generations through two major recording projects: the first with Capitol Records
and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
and the second with Mercury Records and
the Eastman Rochester Orchestra.
Hasty also taught at several of the nation’s premiere musical institutions: the
Eastman School of Music, the Cleveland
Institute of Music, the New England Conservatory, the Juilliard School, and the
Peabody Institute. His legacy, however,
will most likely be remembered through
his work as Professor of Clarinet at the
Eastman School of Music from 1955–85.
His success as a pedagogue is substantiated by his students, many of whom
occupy significant musical positions
throughout the United States.
As one examines Hasty through the
Stanley Hasty
Part I
The Early Years
D
onald Stanley Hasty was born on
21 February 1920 in the small
town of McCook, Nebraska. His
father, Jesse Walter Hasty, of Scottish origin, was employed as a railroad engineer
and carried the distinction of driving the
first diesel electric locomotive into McCook. His mother, Nettie Barbara Utterbach, of German descent, a homemaker,
was extensively involved in community
organizations and activities. She served
66
His Life And Teaching
as state president of many of these pursuits and was included in Who’s Who of
Nebraska as a clubwoman. Always referred to by his middle name, Stanley was
the youngest of three boys and two girls.
However, since the other Hasty children
were much older, he recalls growing up
feeling like an only child.a
Music was important in the Hasty
family. All of the children played instruments and even formed their own ensemble, fondly referred to as the “Hasty
Orchestra.”b Though she was not musically trained herself, Stanley’s mother enThe Clarinet
words of his students, a picture begins to
emerge of a man whose influence has profoundly affected them both musically and
personally. His students agree that he was
a man of high moral and ethical standards.
As a teacher he was extremely demanding
and expected a tremendous work ethic. He
instilled in students a sense of confidence
and a desire to become better musicians.
His ability to articulate and demonstrate
concepts in detail brought out the best in
each student and gave them tools to teach
themselves. His success, however, ultimately came down to something very simple: “He just got it,” says Frank Kowalsky.
“He understood the clarinet, understood
pedagogy, understood the psychology of
the students and understood the music just
better than anybody. He was just a natural
and was able to articulate it.”
In May 2010, many of Hasty’s former
students, colleagues, friends and family
gathered in Rochester, New York at the
Eastman School of Music to celebrate his
90th birthday. Respect and admiration for
Hasty permeated the atmosphere.
Though his legacy will continue for future generations of clarinetists, he will be
greatly missed by us all.
The following article is the first in a series celebrating the life of Stanley Hasty.
The information presented is the result of
the author’s multi-year collaboration with
Hasty, and gathered through numerous
interviews with him, his wife June and a
number of his former students.
couraged the pursuit of music with all of
her children.c She had hoped that her first
child, Corinne, would study abroad and
become a concert pianist.d However, Stanley was the only one to become a professional musician. Motivated by her youngest child’s intense interest in music, Mrs.
Hasty took Stanley by train to Omaha, Nebraska to see the opera Rigoletto. “I still
remember that. It was the first time I had
ever heard anything except band music,
and this was a revelation to me.”e
Stanley’s choice of instruments, the
clarinet, was dictated by coincidence more
than by any other factor.
Stanley Hasty, after winning first place in a solo
competition, June 1934. (Courtesy of Stanley Hasty).
The reason I started playing
clarinet was because my brother had
played clarinet and had a wonderful
set of Belgian clarinets . The way
he got them is kind of interesting .
In our little town of McCook, Nebraska, there was a business called
the HP Sutton Jewelry Store . The
owner of the store, HP Sutton, liked
to conduct, so he would hire musicians to come to McCook to play in
his professional band . He couldn’t
pay them very much so he would
get them jobs around town . I think
the solo clarinet player of that band,
this was way before my time, got a
job in a shoe store . Sutton was the
one that picked out the set of Belgian clarinets for my brother . I have
no idea how he knew about those
Belgian clarinets .f
He began playing the clarinet in the
ninth grade . “I loved them right away – it
was love at first sight .”g This unique connection is, “one reason none of my siblings are professional musicians, no one
ever had to ask me to practice, or ask me
to quit, it was what I liked to do .”h He continued to hone his skills in “a very good
high school band that had a live-wire conductor who also taught clarinet .”i
Within a year of starting the clarinet,
Stanley was making the weekly day-long
commute by train to Denver, Colorado to
study with the clarinetist, Val P . Henrich .
Since his father was a railroad engineer,
the family was able to travel for free on
Stanley Hasty, ca. 1937.
(Courtesy of Stanley Hasty)
the railroad . Young Stanley would board
the train bound for Denver early Saturday
morning, arrive, take his lesson and then
take the train back that same afternoon .
I’d be all night on the train . A
couple of times I would go to sleep
and the conductor would forget to
wake me up . At two o’clock in the
morning, I wound up in the first
little town east of McCook where
my grandmother lived . So at two
or three in the morning, I would be
knocking on her door . I would then
take the train back the next morning .
That happened just two times or so .j
He had learned about Henrich through
his sisters . “My two sisters lived in Denver with their families . My niece played
the saxophone, and she studied in a studio
that also included a clarinet teacher, Val P .
Henrich .”k
Henrich, known as “Tiny” Henrich
– “we called him ‘Tiny’ because he was
September 2011
very short”l – hailed from Italy and played
principal clarinet in the Denver Symphony . This was before Saul Caston came
there as a conductor in 1945 . Caston utilized “a different Eastern sound and Henrich wasn’t like that at all .”m Tiny loved
Italian opera and its arias and possessed
“a very nice, woody, pingy sound which
was really lovely .”n It was a beautiful little sound .”o Unfortunately, “Saul Caston
didn’t like a nice little sound so Henrich
didn’t last long after he came .”p
Henrich taught a lot of students, and his
method of teaching was to play along with
them during the lessons .q This technique
was beneficial to Stanley for a time . “Later
on it’s not good at all because you don’t
want to learn that way, but at that time it
was wonderful because I could hear, “Oh
this is what a clarinet sounds like!” Fortunately it was a good example .”r After
studying with Henrich for a while, Stanley
entered a local solo contest with Bassi’s
Rigoletto Fantasy and won .
Stanley continued to study with Henrich for three years until he left for college and acknowledges that “he was a big
influence on my life .”s
Henrich was inspiring because
he was such a lover of melodic music . My idea of the clarinet is that
it is a very lyric instrument . Unfortunately, it also has great technique
and can do fantastic things . Composers tend to see that a little more
than I would like them to . They miss
the lyric qualities of the instrument .
As far as playing a legato, melodic
melody, the clarinet can do it better
than any other woodwind . There is
no doubt in the world about that and
that stayed with me . That’s what I
listen to .t
In the summer of 1936, Stanley traveled with his mother to audition at the
Eastman School of Music in Rochester,
New York . The experience remained vivid
throughout his life .
I had prepared the first movement of the Weber Grand Duo
Concertante . Howard Hanson was
there, probably also Rufus Mont
Arey, and other faculty I didn’t
know at all . I played, and it was
pretty good . Ruth North Tibbs, the
theory teacher, was a very good pianist and she accompanied me . All
67
“Geez, that sounds right, that
sounds good . I like to listen to that .”
However, I didn’t know why . But he
was teaching that in the studio – this
note belongs here, and this note belongs there . Arey was also teaching
what I call dynamic phrasing – he
started me on that . I have elaborated
quite a bit on that since then, where
you phrase with the rise in dynamics
and why . There are a lot of different
whys . Also he was very interested
in the ends of notes, how you end
a note before you start the next one .
That kind of thing came from him . If
he would have sounded really good,
then he would have been my idol .y
Rufus Mont Arey, clarinetist, Eastman
School of Music faculty 1927-54. (Courtesy of Sibley Music Library, Eastman
School of Music, University of Rochester)
through the years I was there (as a
student) she accompanied me, and it
was really great . Anyway, I played
the first movement and someone
said, “Let’s go on, I’d like to hear
the last movement .” Being young
and everything I didn’t say, “Well I
didn’t prepare the last movement .”
I said, “Okay [laughs] .” So I played
the last movement, but you know
now I would probably faint if somebody said that, but not then .u
As a result of that audition, Stanley
was awarded a full scholarship of approximately 500 dollars .
In 1937 Stanley graduated from McCook Junior/Senior High School, and that
fall entered the Eastman School of Music .
Here he began studying clarinet with Rufus Mont Arey .v Originally from Maine,
Arey had served as principal clarinet of
the Detroit Symphony and the Philadelphia Orchestra before joining the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Eastman School of Music in 1927 .w
“He was a good teacher,” Stanley said
of Arey, “a better teacher than Tiny Henrich, but he didn’t sound as good on the
clarinet . In fact as far as teachers go, he
was a better teacher than Ralph McLane .”x
Stanley recalls .
What Arey had that I liked, and
I think this is probably a carry over
from high school, was that when I
heard him play a melody I thought,
68
In addition to his studies, Stanley
worked as a technician in the recording
department . This allowed him and his
friends the opportunity to listen to and
critique prominent clarinetists of the time .
The recording department was
located in the projection booth of
Kilburn Hall, a small recital hall .
The recording department had a direct line from WHAM, which is the
NBC radio station here in [Rochester] before FM and we would get
all the Philadelphia, Boston, New
York broadcasts live from over AM
WHAM . We had a direct line to
WHAM and of course these huge
speakers in the hall . So that was a
regular thing with us, we would sit
in the dark in Kilburn Hall and listen .
We liked Bellison, who was the principal in the New York Philharmonic,
for sound, and we liked Polatschek
in Boston for more all-around playing . But for the sound, Bellison and
his big German clarinet were great .
That is one reason I am so particular
now about how you use your fingers
in slow playing…because he didn’t
and I hated to hear that clunk, clunk,
clunk of his German style .z
Stanley spent his summers away from
Rochester, mainly in Denver where both
his sisters lived with their families .
I would stay there because I
played in the park band . The first
orchestra job I got was the Central
City Opera . I got that out of the
union in Denver . That was great .
We did Yeomen of the Guard . I think
that was the only grand opera that
Gilbert and Sullivan ever wrote .
The Clarinet
The Central City Opera did mostly
Gilbert and Sullivan . We did the
Bartered Bride one summer . I did
that a couple summers . I played
second clarinet and was really obnoxious then because I would keep
saying how the piece should be
played . Finally the first clarinetist
said, “Look why don’t you just play
first clarinet?”, and I said, “Oh I did
not mean that [laughs] .” I would
say, “Oh, I could do so and so,” and
when you are young you do a lot of
stuff . He was a very good guy for
me to work with because he didn’t
mind . He was not worried that I was
a challenge to him . The park band
was okay . I played assistant principal in that . The second year I was
offered principal and would get five
dollars a week more, but I did not
want that because then you had to
play all the solos and everything and
had to practice [laughs] .aa
In 1941, Hasty graduated from Eastman with a Bachelor of Music in clarinet performance and was awarded a performer’s certificate in recognition of his
outstanding musicianship .ab This honor
allowed him to perform on two special
concerts . The first was a solo performance
with the Rochester Civic Orchestra under
the direction of Howard Hanson . For this
event Arey and Hasty decided on Claire
du Lune by Jeanjean, which Hasty played
by memory at the insistence of the conductor Howard Hanson .ac The second concert was a chamber music recital in which
Hasty performed the Brahms Trio, a divertimento with oboe by Frank Hruby and the
Mozart Quintet .ad
Following graduation, Hasty moved
to New York City to start his professional
music career .
While I was there I studied saxophone with Himie Schutzer [sic] .
He was the lead alto in the Benny
Goodman Band . He could play
louder and faster than any saxophone player that you’ve ever heard
in your life . He liked to have me
come around for lessons because I
had a lot of technique . Coming from
the clarinet to the saxophone, the
technique is there . He would want
to play these Grand Duos, which
had a lot of technique for two clarinets . We played them for two saxophones . He loved those things .ae
Unfortunately his New York experience “was not so great. It is a hard town.”af
Times were frustrating and the only job
Hasty was able to secure was with an Italian opera company performing, The Barber of Seville.
I had played a summer job in
New Orleans, and the flute and piccolo player was the contractor. In
New York you go to a big open hall
and everybody is wandering around
and getting jobs. So he said, “Do
you know The Barber of Seville?”
and I said, “Yes,” though I had never
played it before. So he said, “Okay,
I can get you a job playing, meet the
group at – probably was the corner
of Fifth Avenue and something, I
don’t remember where – and we’ll
get on the bus and go from there.” I
said [to myself], “Well good, we will
get on the bus, we will go to someplace and have a rehearsal and then
play the opera. I can do that.” We
stayed on that bus, and we stayed
on that bus, and finally around dinner time or a little later we arrived in
New Amsterdam, New York, which
is about fifty miles west of Albany.
We get out of the bus, we go down
into the pit – nobody spoke English they were all Italians except
for me – and the next thing I knew
BANG! – There was the downbeat
and we were playing The Barber of
Seville. I sweated blood. A lot of that
opera is for C clarinet, which complicates things a little bit. However
I still wasn’t old enough to realize,
you can’t do this [laughs]. So I got
through it all right. But that’s about
the only job I remember getting
there. I played one jazz job, which
I hated and I was not good at, and I
got disgusted with the whole scene.ag
Frustrated with the lack of work in New
York City, Stanley decided to change occupations. He promptly moved to Los Angeles and enrolled at the Curtis Wright Aeronautical Institution where he began studies
to become an aeronautical engineer. After
about six weeks of excessive amounts of
calculus, physics, etc. he had had all that
he could handle and proclaimed to himself, “This isn’t for you. You’ve got to do
music, that’s what you love.”ah
Hasty returned to New York City to resume his pursuit of musical employment.
While there he received a graduate scholarship to attend the Juilliard School of Music. At this time the school had a full wind
department, but unfortunately graduate
credits were only awarded to voice, string
and piano students. Therefore, Hasty was
unable to work toward a graduate degree.
At Juilliard he studied with Arthur Christman, principal clarinet of the West Point
Army Band. However, Hasty and Christman did not get off on the right foot.ai
I was an older guy, so I had to
play an audition to get the scholarship. When I walked in for my
first lesson with this man I was just
meeting, he looked up from his
desk and said, “Oh, did they give
it to you?” [laughs] Then he said,
“Well did you work on something?”
and I said, “Sure!” and preceded to
play a movement from a Bach cello
suite and a Jeanjean etude from the
Twenty-Five Grand Etudes. I look at
them as free rhythm interpretation
– you just play them very freely. I
think they are wonderful. I played
my heart out and Christman didn’t
say anything. While I was playing
he’d been sitting at his desk, he then
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69
got up and walked over to the piano
where a metronome was sitting. He
started the metronome and said,
“Now try that again.” Instead of doing it I said, “Well you can’t, that’s
not what these studies are about. It
doesn’t make any sense.aj
Their relationship as teacher and student remained strained. Hasty was going
to school during the day and playing gigs
around town at night. In addition to his lessons with Christman, he found some time
to take a few lessons with Daniel Bonade.
Hasty said the experience was not very
fruitful. “At that point he was really not
too interested and I wasn’t either. It was
just because I was there and he was there.
So we were kind of offhand about it.”ak
Hasty decided not to return to Juilliard
after his initial year since getting a degree
was not his primary interest. He had attended Juilliard because he had the opportunity. That summer Hasty was invited to
play principal clarinet in the New Orleans
summer orchestra. The venue was an outdoor stage with tables on a lawn for the
audience. For Hasty, it was a fun summer,
one in which the last concert of the season
was the most memorable.
I remember the last concert was
the Haydn “Farewell” Symphony
which we played with stand lights
instead of candles. The oboe is one
of the first players off the stage.
He stumbled over some stand light
wires and all the stand lights went
out. The rest of the concert was
played in the darkness!!al
(To be continued in Part II –
“The Orchestral Years”)
Endnotes
a D. Stanley Hasty, interview by author, 26 April
2002, Rochester, New York, mini disc recording.
b Ibid.
c Michael Webster, “Hasty at 80,” The Clarinet,
27:2 (March 2000): 39.
d D. Stanley Hasty, interview by author, 26 April
e Michael Webster, “Hasty at 80,” The Clarinet,
27:2 (March 2000): 39.
f D. Stanley Hasty, interview by author, 26 April
g Ibid.
h Ibid.
i Ibid.
j Ibid.
k Ibid.
l Michael Webster, “Hasty at 80,” The Clarinet,
27:2 (March 2000): 39.
m Ibid.
70
The Clarinet
n Ibid.
o D. Stanley Hasty, interview by author, 26 April
p Ibid.
q Michael Webster, “Hasty at 80,” The Clarinet,
27:2 (March 2000): 39.
r D. Stanley Hasty, interview by author, 26 April
s Michael Webster, “Hasty at 80,” The Clarinet,
27:2 (March 2000): 39.
t D. Stanley Hasty, interview by author, 26 April
2002, Rochester, New York, mini disc recording
u Ibid.
v The 1937-38 Eastman School of Music Yearbook
(Rochester, New York: Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester, 1938).
w George Jones, “The Artistry of Mont Arey (Part
I),” The Clarinet 5:2 (Winter 1978): 16-17.
x D. Stanley Hasty, interview by author, 26 April
y Ibid.
z Ibid.
aa Ibid.
ab The 1940-41 Eastman School of Music Yearbook
(Rochester, New York: Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester, 1941).
ac D. Stanley Hasty, interview by author, 26 April
ad The 1940–41 Eastman School of Music Yearbook (Rochester, New York: Eastman School of
Music, University of Rochester, 1941).
ae D. Stanley Hasty, interview by author, 26 April
af Ibid.
ag Ibid.
ah Ibid.
ai D. Stanley Hasty, interview by author, 8-9 July
aj Ibid.
ak Ibid
al Stanley Hasty, “New Orleans,” private e-mail
message to Elizabeth Gunlogson, 23 August 2005.
About the Writer…
Elizabeth Gunlogson serves as assistant
professor of clarinet at the University of
New Hampshire. Originally from Alaska,
she attended Luther College (B.A.), Indiana University (M.M.) and Florida State
University (D.M.). While at Florida State
University, she received a Dissertation
Research Grant to assist in her research of
clarinetist Stanley Hasty.
Gunlogson had the privilege of spending several years collaborating with Stanley Hasty on her doctoral treatise, “Stanley Hasty: His Life and Teaching.” This
document is an extensive biographical and
pedagogical study of his life. She has presented her research on Hasty at the 2010
International Clarinet Association conference, the 2010 Eastman School of Music
Hasty 90th Birthday Celebration, the 2008
Ohio State University-Johnstone Woodwind Master Series and the 2007 College
Music Society National Conference.
N
O
C
A
R
G
L
U
T
I
T
A
O
!
S
N
STEPHEN WILLIAMSON
METROPOLITAN OPERA VIRTUOSO NAMED PRINCIPAL CLARINETIST OF THE
CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The “brilliant blend of virtuosity and warmth”
produced by Mr. Williamson proved to be a winning combination!
We at Pyne/Clarion are delighted that his mouthpiece,
personally hand-crafted by James Pyne, was supportive in this
remarkably competitive environment.
Stephen has played Pyne mouthpieces exclusively for many years.
1-800-579-6344
Pyne/Clarion, Inc.
www.pyne-clarion.com.
Tribute
Dieter Klöcker
to
(1936–2011)
by Luigi Magistrelli
Dieter Klöcker
P
robably the most prolific recording
artist in clarinet history died last
May 21 from a serious illness .
I am particularly sad but I am also honored and full of emotion in writing this
report to commemorate one of the most
well-known clarinetists of our times . This
is especially true for me considering the
special relationship I had with him, first
as a student of his and then as a colleague,
friend and partner in two CD recordings
(Mendelssohn Concertpieces) . He was
also my mentor and inspiring model since
I was a teenager . Klöcker was a clarinetist
with such strong personal musical peculiarities . His spirited interpretations and
highly inspired musical performances
made him quite a unique and “one of a
kind” clarinetist who was mainly devoted
to the classical and romantic repertoire .
Born in Wuppertal in 1936 with a father who played trumpet, he studied at the
Detmold Music Academy with Jost Michaels, clarinetist, pedagogue and pianist,
but earlier he had important studies with
Karl Kroll, former clarinetist of the Saint
Petersburg court of the Czar Ivanov and
father of Oskar Kroll, author of the book
Die Klarinette .
Kroll owned a pair of clarinets donated to him by the Czar himself and then
handed them over to his pupil Klöcker
who used them practically during all his
artistic activity . I have the incredible good
fortune now to possess these extraordinary
clarinets (L . Warschewsky in B-flat and O .
72
Oehler in A) made in the ’20s of the last
century but still in amazingly good condition! I must say that every time I play
them (some recordings on them are scheduled), I really feel the soul of Klöcker’s
tone in them!
Karl Kroll also gave to Klöcker all
of his musical archive and transmitted
to him the passion for searching for the
neglected manuscripts in the most important European libraries . After getting
some orchestral playing experience for a
few years, Dieter Klöcker found his way
into the chamber music and solo clarinet repertoire and founded in 1965 his
own group which was quite unique in its
own way and in its flexible instrumental
combinations . It was called the Consortium Classicum, with whom he made for
more than 50 years an active schedule of
tours around the world and hundreds of
recordings (LPs and CDs) of the great
literature and of less interesting masters
rediscovered from the classical and early
romantic periods . The number of recordings intended as radio productions, LPs,
tapes and CDs (some hundreds !) made by
Klöcker as a solo player and as a leader of
Consortium Classicum is so huge that it is
not comparable to any other living clarinetist! The musical and technical quality
of these recordings has always been of
the highest level with such details in the
accuracy of style, brilliance and musical
personal choices masterminded by the art
of Dieter Klöcker . The labels which include Klöcker and his Consortium Classicum in their catalogs are: Camera Magna,
Emi, Basf, Mdg, Novalis, Koch, Divox,
Teldec, Arts, Cpo, Bayer Records, Orfeo
and Thorofon . His very first recording
was in 1960, Die blaeser der NorwestdeutschenmusickakademieDetmold.
He recorded two Mozart Divertimentos for two clarinets and bassoon, K 439b .
Among the most important and significant
The Clarinet
recordings he did, just to cite a few, we
can mention the Cartellieri, Baermann,
Pleyel, Rosetti, Mercadante, Hoffmeister, Weber, Knezek, Solere, Schacht and
Danzi clarinet concertos, all the chamber
music and wind literature of Beethoven,
Mozart, Schubert, Krommer, Haydn and
many others . At the present there are still
a few CDs of his to be published . He recorded in 1977 for EMI and Academy of
St . Martin in the Fields 10 Concertante
Symphonies from the classical and early
romantic periods for two clarinets and
orchestra and other various instrumental combinations with his friend and colleague W . Wandel . His recordings gained
international appreciation and important
prizes . Klöcker was professor of clarinet
and wind chamber music from 1976 until
2001 at the Hochschule of Freiburg . He
wrote many articles on his discoveries and
some doctoral dissertations:
• Handbuch der Musikpädagogik, Bd .3
Bärenreiter 1994 Die Klarinette
• Medizinische Probleme bei Instrumentalisten, Laaber Verlag 1995 Ursache
und Wirkung
• Kongreßbericht 1997 des Forschungsinstituts für Instrumental- und
Gesangspädagogik,
Schott
1998
Fehlgeleitete Musikerpotentiale.
He also edited some little known clarinet pieces (Bochsa, Stadler, Reissiger,
Hoffmeister and others) for various publishing houses .
I will remember his incredible passion
and enthusiasm for music in general, and
forgotten clarinet literature in particular,
and his interest in making recordings with
young players, former students of his, such
as myself, Sandra Arnold, Giuseppe Porgo
and Oliver Link . His many recordings will
be the precious testament he left us as a
legacy of his incomparable musical art .
Aufwiedersehen Maestro!
2012 ORCHESTRAL AUDITION COMPETITION
This Year - the Bass Clarinet!
Eligibility: The competition is open to clarinetists of all ages who are not employed full time as salaried members of a
professional symphony orchestra.
Application: Please submit an online application at www.clarinet.org and mail a print-out of the confirmation page along
with your other application materials. Send materials postmarked no later than Monday, April 16, 2012 to:
2012 I.C.A. Orchestral Audition Competition
Dr. Jeremy W. Reynolds, Coordinator
Professor of Clarinet, University of Denver Lamont School of Music
2344 East Iliff Avenue, Denver, CO 80208
Phone: 303-871-6365 • E-mail: [email protected]
Contest Rules
Application fee: $50.00 U.S. All applicants must be members of the I.C.A. and submit the online competition
application form on www.clarinet.org. Please mail the print-out of the confirmation page as this will serve as
proof of I.C.A. membership and payment of application fee. Non-members wishing to apply may join the I.C.A.
by including the appropriate membership fee with their contest application fee. If you choose the option to pay
by check or money order in the online application process, please be sure to include appropriate payment with your
application materials. The application fee is non-refundable.
II. Recording Instructions: Please provide a good quality recording (CD-R format required) containing the following
excerpts, in this exact order with appropriate track ID numbers. Please do not write anything on your audition CD. No
speaking on the recording. The soprano excerpts are first clarinet parts:
Soprano Clarinet
1. Mozart: Concerto, Movement I, exposition only
2. Beethoven: Symphony #8 – 3rd mvt. Tempo di Menuetto, no repeat
3. Mendelssohn: Scherzo from Midsummer Night’s Dream – mm. 1–48
4. Rimsky-Korsakov: Capriccio espanol – 1st mvt. solos at A & C; 3rd mvt. solo 11 mm. after K to fermata at end
I.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Bass Clarinet
Grofe: Grand Canyon Suite – On the Trail, #2 to one measure after #3
Khatchaturian: Piano Concerto – 1st mvt., mm. 391–400; 2nd mvt., mm. 2–8, and mm. 220–234
W. Schuman: Symphony #3 – Toccata, mm. 157 thru 170; Fugue, mm. 328 thru 351
Shostakovich: Violin Concerto #1 – 2nd mvt.,. #23 to four mm. before #25
Stravinsky: Rite of Spring - #5 thru four mm. after #6; #11 to #12; #48 to #49; one m. before #141 to #142
III. A separate written and signed statement, attesting the recording is the playing of the contestant and has not been edited
IV. A permanent address, telephone number and E-mail address should be provided.
Judging
Judging of recordings will be conducted with no knowledge of the contestants. Do not include any identification (your
name) on the CD-R or box. There should be no speaking on the recording, such as announcing of compositions. Preliminary
judging will be held by recorded audition. Semifinalists will be chosen by committee. E-mail or letters of notification will be sent
by Monday, May 14, 2012. Semifinal and final rounds will be at ClarinetFest® in July 2012. Repertoire will consist of the excerpts
listed above. Past first-prize winners are not eligible to compete. All contestants will accept the decision of the judges as final.
All semifinalists will receive free registration at ClarinetFest® 2012. Travel expenses will be the responsibility of the contestant. All
recordings will become the property of the I.C.A. and will not be returned.
PrizeS
First Prize: $1000.00; The ReedWizard donated by Leslie and Ben Redwine and any Gregory Smith model clarinet mouthpiece
Second Prize: $500.00 and any Gregory Smith model clarinet mouthpiece
The Orchestral Audition Competition is generously sponsored in part by Gregory Smith and Leslie and Ben Redwine.
The I.C.A. assumes no tax liability that competition winners may incur through receiving prize money. Individuals are responsible for investigating applicable tax laws and reporting prize winnings to requisite government agencies.
September 2011
73
Practice techniques:
Using the Contextual Interference
Effect for Better Performance
M
usicians are always trying new
ways to improve their abilities
for the music they play . Most
of us have a daily routine including sound
and technique honing as well as practice
of literature . Much of this practice is simply a matter of repetition of patterns that
are eventually recorded and remembered
by the brain for later recall .
During practice, one often focuses on
technical passages, repeating separate patterns over and over so that when the performance occurs, one can achieve as fluid
and flawless of a performance as possible;
however, there is now evidence suggesting
a more efficient way of practicing . Many
studies have been done involving athletes
in learning precise movements . Referred
to as “contextual interference” (CI), learning patterns of movement involving a high
degree of variation, rather than unvaried
repetition, seems to improve learning and
recall of the movements later . Since clarinetists learn very specific finger patterns,
it is worthwhile to investigate this brain/
pattern-learning research .
by Andrew DeBoer
TheCerebellum(figure 2)
Another area of the brain involved in co-
ThemotorSystem.
TheCerebrum (figure 1)
The human motor system uses complex
connections of the muscular, skeletal, and
nervous systems to produce a wide variety of body movement . The intention of
movement begins in the brain, specifically the frontal lobe, which is located at
the front of the cerebrum . This intention
of movement ultimately makes its way as
a voluntary movement to the spinal chord
and is carried to the specific muscles required for the movement . Such messages
are sent out in the form of electrical pulses
through an intricate system of nerves .
When the pulse gets to the muscle, it produces a chemical action which causes the
muscle to contract or relax, carrying out
the desired movement started in the braina .
74
The Clarinet
ordinating movements as part of the motor
system is the cerebellum . The cerebellum
is located at the back of the head and sits
on the brain stem. It performs many functions, but its most important function is to
act as a storage space for learned programs
of movement. The cerebellum stores templates of movement, such as walking or
writing, so that these activities can be performed automatically without being the
center of attentionb.
The cerebellum not only stores programs of movement so the rest of the brain
can focus on other tasks, but also stores
movements that are too quick for the motor strip to perform accurately (the motor
strip can “only” compute around 20 pieces
of information a second). These movements are referred to as ballistic movementsc. These are the types of movements
often used in performance.
Once the limb is set in motion, there is
no time for the conscious brain to correct
mistakes; it must be planned in advance,
a plan stored in the cerebellum. This type
of motion is often used in musical performances when the musician must maneuver through a musical passage with speed
and smoothness. In conjunction with the
rest of the brain, movements are learned
through repetition and handed over to the
cerebellum for storaged.
Of importance is the fact that, although
the cerebellum is good at storing and then
recalling movements smoothly and rapidly, it is non-judgmental regarding correct
and incorrect movements. The cerebellum
reproduces exactly what it stores. When
practicing sequences of movement, the
musician must use care in programming
the correct movements into the cerebellum.
The Generalized Motor Program
When one practices technical passages
of music, s/he uses repetition to learn it.
Learning begins by performing movements slowly and accurately and becomes
fast and smooth with enough time and
repetition. The terms used to describe the
theories behind this learning are called
closed- and open-loop systems. Essentially, the closed-loop system monitors
repeated movement and corrects errorse.
The open-loop system is the system where
the movement has become polished and
smooth; for the musician, these are the
movements of performancef. Both everyday situations and performance situations
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75
often require people to switch back and
forth between open- and closed-systems
of movement .
Although they are good in describing how the motor system operates,
closed- and open-loop systems do not
allow room for the variations of real-life
situations where slightly different conditions are present each time a movement
is performedg . To account for these problems, the schema theory and generalized
motor program, developed by Richard
A . Schmidt (1975), are helpful . Rather
than store and recall a countless number of variations of motor programs, the
brain stores an abstract representation of
a movement and its parametersh . In other
words, the brain stores a general program
that can adapt to many different kinds of
similar movement, rather than many programs for every specific movement made .
Musicians constantly utilize generalized
motor programs by learning scales and
exercises, establishing common patterns
often used in music . Although passages in
music may not be exactly like exercises,
they are adaptable since they are similar
to these established patterns .
According to schema theory, the brain
learns a movement and develops the ability to adapt to a variety of situations (such
as cold, sweaty hands in a performance) .
In order to help the brain adapt to variations in a future performance environment, varied practice is recommended
since it will help define a clearer overall
“picture” of the movementi .
TheContextualInterference
Effect:variedrepetition
andrandomordersof
passagesinpracticecan
augmentretentionand
laterperformance
When practicing and learning patterns
of movement (technical passages), one
practices with certain kinds of repetition
in certain orders . A focus on repetition
will be explained first followed by an
explanation of order . Performers can use
either constant or varied repetition . During constant practice, learners repeatedly
rehearse a single sequence of motion . For
musicians such an example might include
repeating a technical passage in the specified rhythm with no changes to accents,
The
Clarinet
Publication
Schedule
The magazine is
usually mailed during
the last week of
February, May, August
and November.
Delivery time within
North America is
normally 10–14 days,
while airmail delivery
time outside of North
America is 7–10 days.
76
The Clarinet
tempo, rhythm, or dynamics. This type
of practice often produces favorable immediate results during training; however,
future abilities of the skill in performance
or further development of a skill is not as
effective as the use of varied repetition
in practice. When using varied practice,
the individual produces several versions
of the movement. During training, the
various versions develop and enhance the
“boundaries” of the movement giving the
brain a better picture of the movement.
Although the results of varied repetition
are not always as immediate as those of
unvaried (constant) repetition, transfer of
the skill for further development and ultimately performance is more successfulj.
Many people already use variation as
a practice technique because of its effectiveness, even if they do not know exactly
why; however, the order in which passages are practiced is often overlooked.
Practicing several different passages in
random order can augment retention and
later performance of those passages.
When practicing and establishing several motor programs (movements), learners can practice in either blocked or random order. When practicing in blocked
order, the performer would practice many
separate skills, focusing on one before going on to the next. For musicians an example of such practice might include practicing three different passages, completing
one before going on to the next. Block
practicing allows individuals to become
proficient during practice but often does
not transfer as well for further development and performance. Random practice
involves learning separate passages (or
skills) in no particular order, avoiding too
many consecutive repetitions of any sin-
September 2011
gle passage/skill. Using the skills aforementioned, random practice could include
practicing passage “A,” then passage “B,”
then passage “C,” then “A,” then “C,” and
so on without repeating any skill more
than twice. This type of practice, where
several skills/passages must be learned
and practiced together, along with varied
practice, is known as contextual interference. Contextual interference (CI) often
prevents skills from being successful immediately during practice; however, it is
effective in future retention and further
77
development of the skillk. Once the brain
has time to sort out the various movements practiced away from the instrument
(which happens most effectively during
sleep), future practice and performance is
more productive because movements are
better learned.
Several studies have been done, many
of them supporting the contextual interference hypothesisl; however, some studies
have not supported the CI effect. Inconsistencies are often attributed to factors such
as age, level of expertise, amount of practice, and testing conditionsm. More stud-
Contacts for The Clarinet
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78
The Clarinet
ies are needed to explain the influence of
these factors on the CI effect.
The Benefit of the CI Effect
for Musicians
Because research sustains varied and random practice techniques, especially in
skills with a high degree of complexity,
musicians would benefit by using varied
and random techniques in their practice.
If a musician was to incorporate these
techniques, such examples might include
practicing scales, arpeggios, thirds, and a
variety of other exercises in random and
varied ways. One can add variety by beginning at the top of each scale and descending in lieu of continually using tra-
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ditional bottom-to-top patterns. Likewise,
in musical passages, sequences of motion
can be learned not only forward, but backward. Different tempi can be used in random order for each passage. The rhythms
of each passage can be altered innumerably, adding variety to the learning of
skills. Such practice uses the technique
of varied repetition. Separate passages
in a piece of music can also be practiced
in random order, making sure that each
passage is not repeated for an extensive
amount of time before moving on to the
next passage. This is the technique often
overlooked, especially for those of us who
get obsessed with getting a certain passage perfect before moving on.
The ability to use random and varied
practice techniques abundantly exist. This
not only enhances skill acquisition, but also
keeps practice from becoming monotonous. Although their immediate results during practice may be less successful by using varied and random practice techniques,
in time musicians will see the benefit of
such practice through the better retention
and accuracy of motor skills in the everchanging performance environments.
Endnotes
Godinho, “The Contextual Interference Effect
in Applied Settings,” European Physical Education Review 13, no. 2 (2007), 197, 199. http://epe.
sagepub.com (accessed 4 November 2007).
m
Stewart Ollis, Chris Button, and Malcolm Fairweather. “The Influence of Professional Expertise and Task Complexity upon the Potency of
the Contextual Interference Effect.” Acta Psychologica 118, no. 3 (March 2005): under “Introduction.” http://www.sciencedirect.com at
EbscoHost (accessed 11 November 2007).
About the Writer…
Andrew DeBoer is a musician and teacher
in the Phoenix, AZ metro area. He has performed with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, Arizona Opera, Paradise Winds,
and the Symphony of the Southwest in
Mesa, AZ and has also been a soloist with
the Hastings Symphony Orchestra, Northwest Wind Symphony, and the 43rd Army
Band in Lincoln, NE, a band with which
he played while he was a part of the National Guard. Andy completed the Bachelor of Music degree at Hastings College in
Hastings, NE where he studied with Debra
McKim and the Master of Music degree
at Arizona State University with Robert
Spring where he is currently completing
the Doctor of Musical Arts degree.
Music for Clarinet
Clarinet quartet:
Peter Benary: Little chamber music
Jean Daetwyler: Symphonietta
Jean Daetwyler: Three sketches
W. Schröder: A little laugh music
Clarinet and organ:
Hans-Peter Graf: Suite
Fr. Wermann: Andante religioso
Fr. Wermann: Des Hirten Wiegenlied
Voice, clarinet and organ:
Peter Escher: Psalm, op. 136,3
Peter Escher: Lullaby, op. 136, 1
E. Strässer: Geistlicher Gesang
Clarinet, violin and piano:
A. Ponchielli: Paolo e Virginia
Iwan Müller: Duo concertant
Two clarinets and bassoon:
Dr. F. Zebinger: European melodies
Wind quintet:
P. Graf: Divertissement on popular
swiss melodies
See also our selling off of music under:
www.thoeni-edition.ch > Notenausverk.
Musikverlag Gottfried Aegler,
CH-3762 Erlenbach i.S.
Switzerland
Frank R. Wilson, Mind, Muscle and Music:
Physiological Clues to Better Teaching (Elkhart,
IN: Selmer, 1981), 7.
b
Ammar Al-Chalabi, Martin R. Turner, and R.
Shane Delamont, The Brain: A Beginner’s Guide
(Oxford, UK: Oneworld, 2006), 65.
c
Wilson, 10.
d
Al-Chalabi, Turner, and Delamont, 65.
e
Richard A. Schmidt and Craig A. Wrisberg,
Motor Learning and Performance: A ProblemBased Learning Approach, 2nd ed. (Champaign,
IL: Human Kinetics, 2000), 93.
f
Schmidt and Wrisberg, 124.
g
Joshua G. Sanders, “Improving Student Practicing through Application of Motor-Learning Research,” Update – Applications of Research in
Music Education 23, no. 1 (Fall-Winter 2004):
15.
h
John Edward Owen, “Improving Instrumental
Practice Techniques through Use of a Motor
Schema Theory of Learning,” (PhD diss., Ohio
State University, 1988), 2. In ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, http://proquest.umi.com (accessed 14 October 2007).
i
Nicole Marie Damarjian, “The Short-Term
Training Effects of Practice Variability on Posttraining Performance of Three Golf Skills with
Experienced Golfers,” (PhD diss., University of
North Carolina at Greensboro, 1997), 10. In ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, http://proquest.
umi.com (accessed 7 October 2007).
j
Damarjian, 20.
k
Damarjian, 21.
l
João Barreiros, Teresa Figueiredo, and Mário
a
September 2011
79
An Orchestral Stage:
A Cultural Sketch from the Life of Orchestral Musicians
by Simeon Bellison
Part VII
[Simeon Bellison needs no introduction to
clarinetists, and so we are indeed priviliged to be able to publish in a serialized
form over the next several issues (approximately one or two short chapters per issue)
this unique work by the famous Russianborn clarinetist/author/teacher. Thanks
to David Randall, Professor Emeritis of
Clarinet at Brigham Young University and
a former Secretary/Treasurer of the I. C. S.
(1975–78), this rare piece of literature can
now be made available. Ed.]
Chapter 8
O
n that very same Sunday Jivoglot
had had his own troubles. His orchestra was scheduled to play at
a wedding in the village of Bogorodsk, on
the outskirts of Sokolniki. In the morning
at Chilikin’s he had informed his men of
the engagement and had reminded them
to be at the appointed place at six o’clock
sharp and to wear white ties.
Connections to Bogorodsk were poor.
In the winter, the horse car ran only part
of the way. Being a punctual man and
particularly conscientious in his business
appointments, Jivoglot began his preparations very early, at one o’clock in the afternoon. He dressed as befitted the occasion, then wrapped his drum in its canvas
cover, selected the necessary music, rolled
it in a handkerchief, and tied two music
stands together with a strap. He drank a
glass of tea, inspected his bundles again
and started in the direction of Suhareva
Tower. There he boarded the horse car,
which took him as far as the Sokolniki
Gate. From there to Bogorodsk was still
a distance. Being heavily burdened, Jivoglot decided to hire a sleigh. The coachman demanded a ruble and a quarter for
the ride, so Jivoglot swore at him in the
best Chilikin manner, threw the drum over
his shoulder, tucked the music and stands
under his arm and proceeded on foot.
80
At five o’clock, he reached his destination. He rested a little while, then untied the
stands and set one up for Vinogradov and
one for himself. For the rest of the orchestra, he procured a small table from another
room. He tied his drum to a chair, tightened the skin, and set the wedding-march
music on the stand. When everything was
ready, he wiped his spectacles and inquired
about the bride and groom. The wedding
ceremony was being performed in the village, and the young couple was due to return at half-past six for the party.
Jivoglot had plenty of time to visit the
kitchen. The cook proved to be an old
friend with whom he had worked at many
weddings. On the strength of this acquaintance Jivoglot was treated to several glasses
of tea. When the clock struck six, he returned to the parlor to see if his orchestra
had assembled. To his horror, the only one
present was Vinogradov, who sat calmly
smoking a cigarette. Jivoglot bombarded
him with questions: “Did they all have the
correct address? Did they know what time
to be there? Why had they not come?”
It was an old habit of Jivoglot’s to instruct his men to arrive an hour or more
earlier than he really needed them. They,
knowing of this trick, always arrived an
hour later than he instructed, but actually in time for the performance of their
duties. But this evening, thinking that the
wedding celebration would begin at eight
o’clock, he had told them to be there at
six; and as usual they were in no hurry.
It was destined to be an unhappy evening for Jivoglot. From beginning to end,
he was pursued by one misfortune after
the other. He fumed, fretted and swore.
When, at half past seven, the voice from
the entrance hall announced the imminent
arrival of the newlyweds, he was on the
verge of tears. He cursed his fate and his
musicians, but the wedding march had to
be played. He seated himself at the drum,
Vinogradov placed his violin under his
chin, and both waited for the signal to beThe Clarinet
gin. The guests gathered in the parlor, and
the young couple entered. Jivoglot waved
his drumstick and Vinogradov struck the
opening measures of the wedding march.
In order not to betray the reduced size
of his orchestra, Jivoglot took it upon himself to supply the missing voices. While
his right hand was beating the drum, in
the tempo of the bass viol, his left hand
manipulated the cymbals in the rhythm
of the second violin. At first, it seemed
as though everything would come out
smoothly after all, when suddenly a new
misfortune befell Jivoglot. In the middle
of the wedding march, two of the strings
on Vinogradov’s violin broke. Jivoglot
was nearly overcome. However, he pulled
himself together and gave all his might
to the beating of the drum, trying to produce the combined sounds of an entire
orchestra. Vinogradov, meanwhile, was
unable to pull the new strings through the
pegs. Jivoglot continued beating his drum
louder and louder, shouting, “Hurry there,
hurry, you demon!” But Vinogradov still
fumbled. After a few more minutes of
smiting his drum, Jivoglot lost all hope of
getting help from Vinogradov, and, completely exhausted, he dropped the drumstick and slumped motionless in his chair.
It was the first time the people of Bogorodsk had an orchestra in their village.
When the wedding march began, they
thought that this was music, as it should
be played. However, when Jivoglot nearly
deafened them with the drum, the guests
grew puzzled and looked questioningly
at the orchestra. As the music abruptly
ceased, one of them stepped boldly forward and exclaimed, “You call this music?
The hell it is!”
That brought Jivoglot to his senses. He
sprang up nervously and offered his apologies. He explained that the entire orchestra had not assembled and assured them
that when they came the guests would
be thrilled with the music. He mentioned
several prominent people for whom he
had furnished music in the past and whose
recommendation he had received .
After the wedding march, everybody
congratulated the newlyweds, and refreshments were served . Jivoglot had time to
calm down a little, merely continuing to
curse the absent musicians . He swore to
discharge them all on the spot, and as further punishment, declared he would buy
no more cigarettes from Morkovkin .
At last, all the musicians except Morokovkin arrived . Jivoglot ignored them . No
matter how earnestly they tried to explain
their tardiness, he waved them aside, spat
disdainfully in their direction, and walked
away . Shortly after, when the dance leader
introduced himself to Jivoglot and requested a waltz, Morkovkin appeared at
the door . He approached his colleagues
and, without removing his hat or coat, began his story . Near the Nikoaievsky Station, the horse car had jumped the tracks;
and he, Gdal Morkovkin, had labored for
more than half an hour helping to set it
back . Jivoglot could no longer control himself . He raised his drumstick; and, drawing
himself up to his full height, he shouted,
“Undress, you swine, and get to work!”
Morkovkin had not expected this; but,
when he saw Jivoglot’s fury, he took off his
overcoat without a word . He threw it over
the back of a chair, took his flute out of its
case, and the music and dancing started .
At about 10 o’clock Jivoglot approached the host and requested food and
drink for the musicians . The host sent him
to the cook . From the kitchen, Jivoglot returned with a large platter piled with vinaigrette, a salad of meats, vegetables and
mayonnaise . The sight of it made Kurochkin’s eyes pop with joy . With the enthusiasm of a child, he cleared the table of instruments and music, and made room for
the food . Jivoglot set down the dish and
warned his men to wait until he returned
with knives, forks and vodka .
The musicians took advantage of the
intermission to go into the garden for a
breath of fresh air, but Kurochkin stayed
at the table and stared gluttonously at the
plate of food . At the thought of the vodka
he was going to drink and the salad that
would follow it, his mouth watered . He
could hardly wait for Jivoglot to return .
Suddenly, a great fear struck him:
would there be enough food in the dish
for six people? He decided that his share
would be too small to appease his hunger .
At first, he thought of buying someone
else’s share; but success was doubtful
because they were all very hungry . Then
he was inspired with a plan . He found a
newspaper, reached into the dish, and
grabbed as much of the salad as his hand
could hold . He was about to wrap it up
when Jivoglot and the rest of the orchestra appeared in the doorway . Kurochkin
nearly died of panic . “What if they catch
me? They won’t spare me!” He shuddered . “What shall I do? If I throw it under
the table, someone might find it; and that
will make matters worse .” There was no
time for further thought . He put the newspaper filled with salad on his chair and sat
down on it .
Jivoglot gave each musician half a
glass of vodka, and bade them eat . Kurochkin ate ravenously, but he lagged behind the others because his right hand was
smeared with the dressing of the stolen
portion, and, in order to conceal it, he had
to use only his left hand . “Have you suddenly became left-handed?” demanded
Jivoglot . Kurochkin wiped his hand on
his trousers under the table, and explained
that his right hand was tired from carrying
the bass viol all the way from Sokolniki .
In the meantime, the mayonnaise on
which he was sitting, began to assert itself .
His trousers became soggy, the chair grew
slippery, and he kept his seat with difficulty . His dream of eating the extra supply of salad gave way to the problem of
disposing of it without discovery . Another
inspiration came to him . He left the table
and shuffled backwards towards the door
with his left hand gripping the newspaper
stuck to his trousers .
He had nearly passed the threshold and
was at the end of his troubles when a terrible thing happened . An enormous dog that
was dozing on the other side of the door
caught a whiff of the food and jumped to
its feet . When Kurochkin turned around
and saw the massive beast, he waved
his hands wildly to ward it off . The dog
snarled, leaped at him and barked so savagely that guests, servants and musicians
all rushed to the spot .
With the dog chasing him around the
room, Kurochkin had no time to think of
the salad . The newspaper with the food,
shaken loose from his trousers, fell to the
floor . The dog leaped at the salad, pulled
out the pieces of meat in it, and devoured
them .
September 2011
Everything was now exposed . Kurochkin trembled with shame and fear, and his
trousers dripped bits of salad . The head of
the house called Jivoglot aside and reprimanded him severely for the conduct of
his musicians . There was nothing left for
Kurochkin but to confess everything to his
leader and benefactor . Jivoglot was preparing for immediate punishment of the
sinner when the dance leader was heard
calling for a polka . With a promise to Kurochkin that he would get his reward later,
Jivoglot called his flock together and resumed the musical program .
(to be continued)
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81
The 2011 I.C.A. Composition Competition
T
by Eric P. Mandat with Michael Norsworthy and Gregory Oakes
his year’s I.C.A. Composition
Competition for clarinet duet attracted 18 entrants from five different countries. This article will profile
the winning composition, Time Portraits
II: Double-Talk No. 37 for two clarinets
in B-flat by Satoshi Ohmae from Japan. In
addition, we’ll give you a “teaser” of several other works that the members of the
committee (Michael Norsworthy, Gregory
Oakes and I) found particularly noteworthy. We have included contact information
for the composers of these works with the
hope that many of you will be interested
in these composers and their works and
in further disseminating this high quality
new clarinet music.
All of the works submitted are now at
the I.C.A. Research Library.
Time Portraits II:
Double-Talk No. 37,
Satoshi Ohmae
[email protected]
Japanese composer Satoshi Ohmae is professor of composition at Soai University
in Osaka and has composed many works
in all genres during his long career. His
Time Portraits II is one of many “DoubleTalk” duets he has composed for different
combinations of instruments, including
several which include clarinet.
Time Portraits II is written in one continuous movement with several contrasting sections. The work begins with a very
slow and free introduction. Several halfstep portamenti give the music an even
more flexible feel. A couple of quickly rising gestures at the end of the minute-long
introduction prepare the ear for the next
section, which features fleeting upward or
downward gestures alternating with more
expressively dynamic declamatory gestures. Near the end of this section, approximately a minute and a half in length, several hocket-like gestures are introduced,
which become an important rhythmic motive later in the work.
The third section features expressive
rubato solos by each of the clarinetists.
Initially the second clarinetist plays alone,
but when the first clarinetist enters, play82
ing a similar expressive line, the second
clarinetist continues playing a countermelody. Motivically the music is closely
related to the declamatory segments in the
second section of the piece. The first clarinetist finishes this two-minute long section with an unaccompanied solo.
The central section of the work follows,
and is marked “ritmato e leggiero.” In contrast to the wide variety of rhythmic values
and juxtaposition of fast and slow gestures
of the previous sections, this section is a
strict succession of staccato 16th notes in
each part, broken up by occasional short
rests. The irregularity of the note-rest patterns creates a hocket-like effect in many
places, building in intensity, and then dying away. A short declamatory interlude
leads directly to a shorter and dynamically
more subdued version of the staccato section. This entire center section closes after about two minutes with another short
declamatory gesture, which again leads
directly into a revisiting of the solo gestures from the third section. Finally, after a
very short restatement of the staccato gestures, a short coda drawing material from
the fleeting gesture/expressively dynamic
section closes this arch-form work.
The harmonic language of this piece
is not traditionally tonal; indeed the work
is more about counterpoint and the interweaving of the two lines and juxtaposing
different types of gestures than it is about
portraying harmonic progressions. The
balance, dramatic expressiveness, and the
rhythmic freedom given to the performers
by Professor Ohmae make this a wonderful work to explore, as deeper study unveils more layers of possibilities for the
performers to shape the various sections
in unique ways.
The premiere performance of this work
was given by Robert Spring and Jana
Starling of Arizona State University at the
ClarinetFest® in Los Angeles. Together
Bob and Jana have presented many new
works for clarinet duo, and their outgoing
adventurous playing styles always make a
premiere performance a special event.
Below, in alphabetical order by the composer’s last name, are several other pieces
which we found particularly enjoyable.
The Clarinet
Mechanisms,
Jaren Hinckley
[email protected]
Jaren Hinckley’s Mechanisms is another
three-movement piece, with each movement representing a different piece of
heavy machinery. The repetitive nature
of these machines (Sheet-Fed Offset
Printing Press, Automatic-Feed Collating Machine, and Rube Goldberg Contraption) lends itself to a minimalist approach, which Hinckley employs expertly
throughout the piece.
The three-note motive for Sheet-Fed
Offset Printing Press keeps the pulse
lively and active as melodic lines pass
between the two B-flat clarinet parts. Key
clicks in increasing note lengths create a
feeling of the machine slowing to a stop,
only to start back up again.
In Automatic-Feed Collating Machine,
the initial six-note repeating motive gradually evolves into ever-shorter motives,
which also makes the sense of pulse increase until a two-note alternation slows
to a stop. After a loud foot stomp, the sixnote motive returns in a descending direction, and the motives reduce once again,
leading to an exciting crescendo that takes
the two clarinets to opposite ends of the
range of the instrument.
The Rube Goldberg Contraption features a motive that moves through continually changing harmonies and switches
between triple and duple subdivisions. The
result is a machine in constant flux with
familiar elements returning amidst new developments to create a feeling of familiarity
along with forward motion. Slow microtonal alternations add an extra dimension to
the sense of development, but the familiar
beginning returns to finish off the work.
Van Gogh Vignettes,
Greg Steinke
[email protected]
Greg Steinke’s Van Gogh Vignettes is a
four-movement, programmatic piece designed to be a “hearing” of four paintings
by the painter Vincent Van Gogh. Written
for two B-flat clarinets, the first player
doubles E-flat clarinet and the second
doubles bass clarinet. The duration of the
piece is approximately 10 minutes, though
some variation in length will occur from
performance to performance due to the
amount of guided improvisatory material.
Written with advanced players in mind,
some substantial rehearsal will be necessary to coordinate these improvised sections and to invent the various scenarios
suggested by the composer. The tempi of
the movements is slow, fast, slow, fast. The
written ranges for each player is standard
and does not exceed an altissimo written
G. Some extended techniques are used to
produce effects such as “jet like sounds”
but these are not prohibitive and should be
easily tackled by most players. This would
be a terrific piece for any college-level recital and would be an interesting way to
promote collaboration amongst players in
a studio. Highly recommended!
D’Inverno
(In the Wintertime),
Federico Zattera
[email protected]
Italian composer Federico Zattera’s
D’Inverno, for clarinet and bass clarinet,
is organized in two movements. The first,
“Via Vittor Pisani sotto la neve” (“Via
Vittor Pisani under the snow”), is a very
slow and quiet unfolding of small-interval gestures, chromatic grace notes, short
portamenti, trills or slower moving semitonal undulations. Gradually some widerinterval gestures emerge and contribute
to the texture, but the trills, and sustained
sounds predominate. The second movement, “Clouds,” is a study in undulations.
The two instruments play measured tremolos, sometimes together, sometimes alone,
with dovetailed entrances and exits. Despite the actively moving notes throughout
this movement, the mood is calm and floating, so the “tranquillo” section near the
end, with its very long-note dovetailing,
does not sound significantly different than
the previous tremolos. This is an effective
mood piece for college-level clarinetists.
Nori for two B-flat clarinets,
Sung Hyun Yun
[email protected]
Sung Hyun Yun’s three-movement work
is exciting, in that each movement provides noticeably new material and fertile
ground for exploration. The movements
are relatively short, and Sung Hyun has
kept the compositional forces to a man-
September 2011
ageable minimum in each in order to best
delve into their possibilities.
The first movement begins with an alternation between the two B-flat clarinet
parts. The subdivisions are all quintuplets,
and the rhythmic spacing of the alternation
is constantly changing. Combined with
the small range of pitches, the effect is a
murmuring chatter that establishes a base
from which the sudden intrusions of held
dyads contrast distinctly. The wide interval
of these dyads further distinguishes them
from the overlapping pitches of the base
material. These elements commingle and
create an exciting push to a dynamic peak.
The gradual energetic decline rounds out
the form in a pleasing way.
Movement two begins with pentatonic
musings in the first clarinet underscored
by a persistent second clarinet drone. The
two parts join together to outline a lyrical
melody together, and the movement ends
with the melody that began.
A medium-fast 16th-note drive pushes
through much of the third movement, with
punchy, accented exclamations punctuating the regularly moving texture. Some
playful glissandi lighten the character, and
the piece ends with a gradual diminuendo
down to a demure pp.
83
CompetItIons
TheSeventhbreno
InternationalClarinet
Competition“G.mensi”
T
he seventh edition of the Breno
International Clarinet Competition
“G . Mensi” took place on May 1214, 2011 . Breno is a little town in northern Italy where Giacomo Mensi was born .
He was a talented clarinetist who studied
at the local conservatory in Darfo Boario
Terme, and then earned a diploma at the
Hochschule of Freiburg (Germany) studying with the well-known player Dieter
Klöcker . Soon after his graduation he died
in a tragic car accident, and this competition has been organized in order to keep
alive the memory of this young player .
In the competition the clarinetists
could compete in three different categories: Young Promises A (maximum age
13), Young Promises B (ages 14-17) and
the third category, Excellence, included
participants with no age limit .
The president of the jury was Wenzel
Fuchs . The other members of the jury were
Luigi Magistrelli, Nicola Miorada, Primo
Borali and Silvio Maggioni, who was also
the organizer and Artistic Director of the
competition . A large number of participants arrived from Italy and other European countries: Austria, Croatia, Slovenia,
Czech Republic and Switzerland . In the
principal category the participants had to
play for the first round the Ernesto Cavallini Concerto No. 2 (recently published by
Eufonia) and the Stravinsky Three Pieces .
In the second round the compulsory pieces
were the Mozart Clarinet Concerto (1st
movement) and Rossini’s Variations in C
Major . In the third round they had to repeat the Cavallini Concerto No. 2. The
winner, Ivav Lervent, performed this Concerto (the premiere performance in modern
times) with the Valle Camonica Orchestra,
conducted by Silvio Maggioni, on May 15 .
The winners:
Young Promises A: 1 . Niccolò Dainelli,
Italy, 200 Euros; 2 . Mateo Paskavan,
Czech Republic, and Alberto Culmone,
Italy, ex aequo, 75 Euros each; 3 . Ma84
(l–r): Luigi Magistrelli, Fabio Maini (second prize), Lorenzo Laurino (honorable mention),
Gianluigi Caldirola (second prize), Wenzel Fuchs, Nicola Miorada, Primo Borali, Ivov Lervent (first prize) and Silvio Maggioni
tous Kopacek, Czech Republic, 100
Euros
Honorable mention: Greta Petenz, Italy;
Vittore Branca, Italy; Carolina Kos,
Croatia
Young Promises B: 1 . Anna Paulova,
Czech Republic, 300 Euros; 2 . Libor
Suchy, Czech Republic, 200 Euros; 3 .
Stefano Borghi and Aldo Botta, ex aequo, Italy, 75 Euros each
Excellence: 1 . Ivov Lervent, Austria, 2,000
Euros; 2 . Fabio Maini, Italy, 700 Euros;
3 . Gianluigi Caldirola, Italy, 400 Euros
Honorable mention: Lorenzo Laurino, Italy
The2012International
ClarinetCompetition
Jeunesses Musicales
belgrade
T
he 2012 International Clarinet
Competition Jeunesses Musicales
Belgrade will be held March 22–
April 1, 2012 in Belgrade, Serbia . It is
open to all clarinetists of any nationality
under the age of 30 as of March 20, 2012 .
The Clarinet
For complete competition information,
consult the following website:
www .music-competition .co .rs/
2012/index .html
All required documents should be sent
by December 31, 2011 to the following
address:
International Jeunesses
Musicales Competition
11000 Belgrade
Terazije 26
Serbia
The Clarinet
Publication Schedule
The magazine is usually mailed
during the last week of February,
May, August and November. Delivery time within North America
is normally 10–14 days, while
airmail delivery time outside of
North America is 7–10 days.
2012 YOUNG ARTIST COMPETITION
Eligibility: The competition is open to all clarinetists who shall not have reached the age of 27 by January 1, 2013 (i.e., born on
or after January 1, 1986) and are not currently under major artist management.
Application: Please submit the online competition application form on www.clarinet.org and mail a printout of the confirmation
page along with your other application materials. Send materials postmarked no later than Friday, April 6, 2012 to:
John Cipolla, I.C.A. President-Elect
Department of Music, Western Kentucky University
Ivan Wilson Fine Arts Center #351
1906 College Heights Blvd. #41029; Bowling Green, KY 42101-1029
E-mail: [email protected] • phone: 270-745-7093
Contest Rules
Application fee: $50 US. All applicants must be members of the I.C.A. and submit the online competition application form on www.clarinet.org. Please mail the print-out of the confirmation page as this will serve as proof of I.C.A.
membership and payment of application fee. Non-members wishing to apply may join the I.C.A. by including the
appropriate membership fee with their contest application fee. If you choose the option to pay by check or money
order in the online application process, please be sure to include appropriate payment with your application materials. The
application fee is non-refundable.
II. Recording Instructions: Please provide a high quality recording on compact disk (CD-R) containing the following repertoire
in the exact order listed. Repertoire must be recorded with accompaniment when appropriate. Any published edition is acceptable. Each selection/movement should be ID coded as tracks. Audiocassettes will not be accepted. Please be aware that
the quality of the recording will influence the judges. Recordings should not be edited and only continuous performances
of entire works or movements are allowed.
I.
1. Leslie Bassett, Soliloquies for Solo B-flat Clarinet
2.Louis Spohr, Concerto No. 1, Opus 26, mvt. I
3. Sir Arnold Bax, Sonata for Clarinet and Piano in D major, mvt. I
III. A photocopy of the contestant’s driver’s license, passport or birth certificate as proof of age.
IV. Both the private teacher, if any, and the contestant attest in a separate written and signed statement that the recording is
the playing of the contestant and has not been edited.
V. A summer mailing address, telephone number and e-mail address should be provided. E-mail is the preferred means
of communication. Please check your e-mail regularly as this is how you will be contacted.
Judging
Judging of recordings will be conducted with no knowledge of the contestant. Do not include any identification on the CD-R
or box. There should be no speaking on the recording such as announcing of compositions.
Preliminary judging will be by recorded audition. Semi-finalists will be chosen by committee. Notification will be sent by
Monday, May 7, 2012. Semi-final and final rounds will be held at the ClarinetFest® 2012, to be held in Lincoln, Nebraska
USA, August 1–5, 2012. Semi-finalists will receive a waiver of registration fees for ClarinetFest® 2012. Travel and other expenses
will be the responsibility of the contestant. Visa and travel arrangements are solely the responsibility of the contestant.
Repertoire for the semi-final and final rounds of competition will consist of selections from the works listed above. A pianist
will be provided for competitors in the semi-final and final rounds. Memorization is not required. All contestants will accept the
decision of the judges as final. Past first-prize winners are not eligible to compete.
All recordings will become the property of the I.C.A. and will not be returned.
Prize
First prize – $4,000 U.S. and a professional clarinet • Second prize – $2000 U.S. • Third prize – $1,000 U.S.
The Young Artist Competition is generously sponsored in part by Buffet Crampon, Gao’s Royal Musical Collection, Leblanc (ConnSelmer), Rico, L. Rossi Clarinets, Henri Selmer Paris, and Yamaha.
The I.C.A. assumes no tax liability that competition winners may incur through receiving prize money. Individuals are responsible
for investigating applicable tax laws and reporting prize winnings to requisite government agencies.
September 2011
85
News From
South
America
by Ricardo Dourado Freire
T
he cultural scene in Latin America
has changed a lot in the past years,
and clarinet players have been organizing events that would promote the
clarinet in Latin America . During this
first semester of 2011, there were clarinet
meetings in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia
and Costa Rica . In September there will
be the First Latin American Clarinet Congress in Peru . Research about the clarinet
is also a strong subject now, and Fernando
Silveira just released a CD with premieres
of clarinet music played in Brazil during
the 19th century . This column also includes
a tribute to the memory of Paulo Moura, a
landmark in Brazilian popular music, who
died in 2010 .
The First Latin American Clarinet Congress will be held in Lima, Peru, organized
by Clariperu under the leadership of Marco
Antonio Mazzini and take place on September 12–16, 2011 . The event aims to
unite clarinet players from all over Latin
America with guests from Argentina, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, Portugal,
Spain and the U .S .A . During the same period will also be the Concurso Latinoamericano para Clarinetistas, a clarinet competition for clarinetists under 27 years old .
The Congress will be held at the Centro
Cultural Peruano Japonés and can be visited at www .wix .com/clariper2/congreso#!
The next “News from South America” will
include a full report from the congress .
Argentina held two clarinet conferences
during April and May . In the northwest
part of the country, province of Tucumán,
there was the 1o Encuentro de Clarinetes
de Tucumán, on April 21–24 . organized
by Juan Pablo Vazquez and with the presence of Amalia del Giudice and Marcelo
86
González . Just south of Buenos Aires, in
Bahia Blanca, there was the II Encontro
de Clarinetes, from May 26 to June 5 .
Clinicians and guests were Nestor Tomassini, Diego Casoni, Osvaldo Lichtenzveig
and Gustavo Kamerbeek from Argentina,
Gervasio Tarragona, from Uruguay, and
Marco Antonio Mazzini from Peru .
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, organized the III Encuentro Internacional
de Saxofonistas y Clarinetistas, on June
28–July 2. At the time there were many
clarinet and saxophone recitals and master
classes and a contest for composers . The
main guests were Jean-Francois Bescond,
from France; Amalia del Giudice, from
Argentina and Ensamble de Clarinetes
“La Paz,” from Bolivia .
Fernando Silveira received first prize
at the ClarinetFest® 2009 I .C .A . Research
Competition in Porto, Portugal . His work
about the presence of Ernesto and Pompeu Cavallini in Brazil was published in
the March 2010 edition of The Clarinet .
In March 2011, Silveira and pianist Lucia
Barranechea released the CD Fantasiade
Concerto with music for clarinet in 19th-
The Clarinet
century Brazil . The recording is a result of
his findings about the repertoire that was
played by local and international clarinet
players while living or visiting Rio de Janeiro .
The repertoire includes Souvenir de
Linda by Ernesto Cavallini, which was part
of a program played by Antonio Luis de
Moura at the Teatro Lyrico Fluminense, in
1859 . Air by Brazilian opera composer Antonio Carlos Gomes is considered the first
solo piece for clarinet by a Brazilian composer, written in 1859 and premiered by
French clarinetist Luis Henrique Levy in
Campinas, São Paulo . José Lino Fleming,
a composer from the state of Minas Gerais,
was well regarded by the Brazilian Emperor, and received a scholarship to study
composition in Italy where he composed
and published Noturno para clarineta e
piano, a Lied for clarinet and piano . Viennese composer Sigismund Neukomm, who
was a student of Haydn and lived in Rio de
Janeiro between 1816 and 1821, composed
Fantasie para clarineta e piano in 1813,
and brought it with him to Brazil . Pompeo
Cavallini visited Rio de Janeiro and played
at the Teatro Ginásio Dramático in July of
1859, and his Divertimento for clarinet and
piano is his only piece, and probably was
part of his repertoire . The last piece on the
CD is Introduction and Variations by the
Czech composer Johann Wenzeslaus Kalliwoda, and it was part of a written program
performed at “Clube Mozart” in 1879 .
This recording provides a view of clarinet music that was composed and played
at the musical events in the capital of Brazil during the second part of the 19th century . Most performances occurred during
opera intermissions or at chamber music
societies . The compositions were strongly
influenced by the bel canto style and required clarinet players to think like opera
singers to perform this repertoire . More
information about this recording can be
accessed at www .fernandosilveira .com .br .
Paulo Moura was a force in Brazilian
music and died on July 12 in Rio de Janeiro at the age of 77 . I mentioned briefly
his loss in the first issue of this column,
but the clarinet community should know
more about this player who was a reference for Brazilian music . He was a master
of both the clarinet and the saxophone,
and a composer, arranger and orchestrator
who defined the presence of the clarinet in
Brazilian popular music .
His first commercial recording was
released in 1956, a Columbia single with
Photo: 2007 © Alex Almeida
Paulo Moura
Moto Perpetuo by Paganini and RimskyKorsakov´s Flight of the Bumble Bee .
In order to make the recording, Moura
learned by himself how to do circular
breathing in a few weeks . And this was
just the beginning .
Moura was one of 10 siblings born in
1933 in São José do Rio Preto – São Paulo
State . His father, Pedro Moura, was a band
conductor who taught all his sons to play
wind instruments, and Paulo followed his
father’s instruments, the clarinet and saxophone . He moved to Rio de Janeiro, as a
teenager to enroll in the National School
of Music to study clarinet with Jayoleno
Santos . In 1958, Moura was the first black
to be selected to be principal player at the
Orquestra Sinfonica do Teatro Municipal
do Rio de Janeiro . He joined the orchestra
and played at the opera house until 1977 .
During the late 1950s, Rio had a very
exciting musical scene and bossa nova
was just being born in the streets of Copacabana and Ipanema . Paulo Moura lived
away in Tijuca, but managed to be part of
the elite group and regarded as a great improviser in the new jazz-samba style . He
appeared at Bossa Nova night at Carnegie
Hall in 1962 with Sérgio Mendes . After
his debut in the U .S ., he was invited to
take part on Cannonball Adderley’s 1962
album, Cannonball’sbossaNova.
Popular music and classical music
were two sides of the same coin for him .
Paulo Moura would rehearse by day at the
Municipal Theater and play live at night
on TV, radio or dance clubs . He could record Paganini or Gershwin, Villa-Lobos
or Pixinguinha, and during his life he
would contribute to both styles as a very
personal player who was in search of a
unique musical voice .
I once did an interview with him, and
he told me that he wanted to improve his
performance on samba . Then, he bought
a house in front of a traditional samba
school named Imperatriz Leopoldinense .
He lived there for 15 years in order to listen every week to old samba singers and
get the right groove for his playing .
Choro music was considered old fashioned in the early ’80s, but then Paulo
Moura released two recordings that would
fire up a new way to play Choro: mistura
emanda (1984) and Gafieiraetc.eTal
(1986) . He combined improvisation, virtuosity, and expression to bring back the
gafieira style, which renewed the interest
about Choro that started to increase again
in Brazil .
The site paulomoura .com offers full
access to videos, interviews and to all
his 41 recordings that can be listened to
online . There are many excellent performances and it is not possible to miss:
moto perpetuo (Columbia, 1956), misturaemanda. (Kuarup, 1984), DoisIrmãos:paulomouraeRaphaelRabello
(Milestone Records, 1992), paulomoura
eOsbatutas (Rob Digital, 1997), winner
of the 2000 Latin Grammy, K-Ximblues
(Rob Digital, 2002), EstaçãoLeopoldina
(MecBR, 2003) and ElNegrodelblanco
(Biscoito Fino, 2004) .
Paulo Moura contributed a major role
to the clarinet in Brazilian music . He also
played the saxophone, but when he was in
the hospital and some friends arrived to
play with him, he picked up the clarinet
to make his last recording before leaving
this world .
September 2011
87
News
from
France
by Jean-Marie Paul
National Conservatories
Lyon CNSM, May 23: Master’s degree,
Bruno Bonansea, mention “Very Good”
(the equivalent of the former 1st Prize);
unanimous decision of the jury; Laurence
Boureau and Seong-Yun Jung, mention
“Good;” “Licence” degree (under Master’s): Maxime Jaouen, François Tissot
and Hugo Clédat. All of them received a
16 on 20 notation.
Paris CNSM, May 25: “Licence” degree: mention “Very Good” and Raphael
Severe: mention “Very Good” with a
unanimous decision of the jury.
Musique de l’Air
(Air Force Band)
March 28, two chairs were awarded to:
Coralie Ordulu (a teacher at the
Conservatoire of the 12th arrondissement, Paris; former student of Christian
Peignier in Besançon, J. Di Donato and
N. Baldeyrou at the Lyon CNSM, Bruno
88
Martinez in Paris and J.N. Crocq, bass
clarinet in Paris CNSM)
Lilian Harismendy presently in his
second year at the Lyon Conservatory.
Former student of Richard Rimbert in Bordeaux, Olivier Derbesse in Paris. Meilleur
Soliste Aquitain 2009 (Best SouthWest
Clarinet Player 2009)
Meilleur Espoir
Aquitain 2011
(Best SouthWest Clarinet Player, February 12, 2011): Théo Montagut unanimous choice of the jury.
Benjamin Christ – European Youth Orchestra (www.euyo.org.uk)
N.B. The clarinet section is also composed
of: Vladimir Brablec (Czech Republic),
Vytautas Giedraitis (Lithuania) and Jessie
Grimes (Ireland).
The Clarinet
2012 Centennial of Jean Françaix
If you plan to program pieces by Françaix,
you can send an e-mail to: [email protected]. They plan to
make a list of 2012 concerts.
6e Concours Tomasi –
International Competition
for Wind Quintets, February 20–25, 2011 –
Marseille
1st Prize: Canorus Quintett (Germany,
Christoph Schneider, clarinet) www.
canorusquintett.de
2nd Prize: Quintette Artecombo (France,
Annelise Clément, clarinet) www.
artecombo.com
3rd Prize: Belfiato Quintet (Czech Republic, Jiri Javurek, clarinet) www.
belfiato.com
Jacques Lancelot International Competition,
March 3–10, 2012, Rouen
Registration deadline: September 20,
2011;
www.concours-jacques-lancelot.
org; E-mail: [email protected]
Premieres
March 31, Montigny les Metz (57); Daniel Hue, three sopranos, baritone and
clarinet choir: http://souffle.ebene.free.fr
(They made a tour in Quebec in July.)
April 1, La Rochelle, Philippe de
Deyne, clarinet; Beatrice Reuther, guitar. Three premieres: a duet by Michel
Bosc and two pieces for clarinet alone by
Juan Pablo Carreno (Columbian composer in La Rochelle).
April 8, Auxerre. With the clarinet
classes of Dijon (Eric Porche, professor)
and Auxerre (Laurence Conversatory,
professor), Vincent Carinola: three versions of “Neumes” (Ave Maris Stella , Ut
queant laxis, Salve Regina) for clarinets
and Gregorian Choir, commissioned by
the Dijon Conservatory.
April 18, Ensemble Claude Georgel
(Yannick Herpin, clarinet). Olivier Dartevelle: Imaginaires for saxophone, clarinet, cello and piano. O. Dartevelle is solo
clarinet of the Luxembourg Philharmonia
Orchestra.
April 24, Ivry-sur-Seine (near Paris),
Le Concert impromptu ensemble (Jean
Maurice Faillenot (1920–2010), clarinetist and composer
I heard recently of Maurice Faillenot’s
death on July 23, 2010. He was a student
of Eugene Gay in Lyon, the professor of
clarinet in Troyes and assistant director of
the Conservatory. He composed more than
100 works, mainly pedagogical. I have
listed on www.partitionsvandoren.fr his
published works with clarinet.
Vandoren and High-tech
Information
Vandoren has developed free applications
for Iphone and Android smartphones –
www.vandoren.fr/en/smartphone.html –
as well the “Vandoren TV” where you can
see videos of players (with translations
in English, Japanese and Chinese) continuously being updated with players from
various countries. There are also older interviews with Karl Leister by Jean-Marie
Paul and Messiaen with Michel Arrignon.
(www.vandorentv.com/)
photo: chiaNaN YeN
Christophe Murer, clarinet) Thierry
Blondeau: Volée for wind quintet
April 24, Tigny Noyelle, Pas de Calais (North of France). Thierry Escaich:
Clarinet Quartet. Quatuor Vendome (F.
Amet, N. Baldeyrou, A. and J. Chabod)
www.quatuorvendome.com
May 3, Arras (Pas de Calais), Patrick Dorobisz: Piece for E-flat clarinet
and computer. The live clarinet moves
with the virtual recorded clarinet. Jacques
Merrer, E-flat clarinet (J. Merrer is E-flat
clarinet in the Lilles Orchestra)
May 22, Avion, Pas-de-Calais. Michel Nowak: Scherzo printanier for Eflat clarinet and Reed Orchestra (clarinet
and saxophone ensemble). Jacques Merrer, E-flat clarinet
June 17, Grenoble. Benoît Dantin
Rapa Nui, Concerto Ligérien n° 1 for
clarinet and orchestra
B. Dantin is himself a clarinetist; his father, Jean-Marie, also taught in the area, but
now teaches in the Tahiti Islands. La Petite
Philharmonie, conducted by the clarinetist
Bruno Delaigue; Pierre Dubier, guest solo
clarinet (professor, Grenoble Conservatory) (www.lapetitephilharmonie.fr)
June 21, Paris. Premiere of the reduction for E-flat clarinet and piano of Cercles dans le Ciel by Anthony Girard for
E-flat clarinet and orchestra. The version
for orchestra was premiered on August 6
at the ClarinetFest® in Los Angeles.
Woodwind
Studies
music and performing arts professions
Esther Lamneck, Director of Woodwind Studies
Instrumental Performance |
B.m., m.m., ph.D.
study with acclaimed artists in the performing arts capital of
the world—New York city.
Selected Woodwind Faculty
clarinet chris Bush, stanley Drucker, pascual martinez fortezza,
larry Guy, David krakauer, esther lamneck
bass clarinet Dennis smylie
woodwind ensembles in residence
New hudson saxophone quartet, quintet of the americas
scholarships and fellowships available.
visit www.steinhardt.nyu.edu/clarinet2012
or call 212 998 5424.
New York UNiversitY is aN affirmative actioN/eqUal opportUNitY iNstitUtioN.
September 2011
Job: 0910_A606
Publication: The Clarinet
Size: 5 X 10
89
a space in French notation. The aspiring
bass clarinetist will now be ready to tackle
the fourth and fifth octaves of so much
bass clarinet music of the past 40 years.
Highly recommended.
Music Reviews
by Gregory Barrett
Luigi Bassi. La Sonnambula, Grand duo
concertant pour clarinette piccolo en
mib et clarinette sib with piano accompaniment, 2010. International Music Diffusion IMD 468. Paris. www.
arpeges.com
Luigi Bassi (1833–1871) followed
Ernesto Cavallini as clarinetist at the
Théâtre de la Scala and like Cavallini he
has enriched our repertoire based upon his
performing experience. His arrangement
of several themes from La Sonnambula,
by Vincenzo Bellini (1801–1835), the
composer-aristocrat of the era, for piccolo E-flat clarinet, B-flat clarinet and
piano showcases the lyric refinement for
which Bellini was known. Bellini’s plot,
centered on the sleepwalking Amina, was
also part of the advancement of opera
from ancient classical sources to opera
semiseria with Romantic scenery and sentiment. What clarinetists have as a result
is a wildly fun-to-play showcase for E-flat
and B-flat clarinet. Cascading arpeggios
and rapid embellishments encircle Bellini’s melodies to dizzying effect. Kept in
simple key signatures and with relatively
conservative range, this extremely playable arrangement is made all the more
useful by International Music Diffusion’s
thoughtful production. Type is extremely
clear, full piano score, individual clarinet
parts as well as a third part with both clarinet parts are provided. International Music Diffusion’s clarinet catalog is to a large
part organized in collections by renowned
performer-pedagogues. The E-flat clarinet
repertoire is under the direction of Jacques
Merrer, long-serving piccolo clarinetist of
the National Orchestra of Lille.
101 estudios para clarinete bajo (101
studies for bass clarinet, basset horn
or contrabass clarinet), 30 progressive
studies for German Notation System.
Musica Didactica S. L., 2005, Madrid,
Pedro Rubio, editor. musicadidactica@
terra.es
This beautifully conceived and executed book guides the intermediate to
advanced clarinetist to fluent use of the
German (bass and treble clef) notation
system. Editor Pedro Rubio, professor at
the Joaquín Turina conservatory in Madrid
90
Emil Kroitor. 15 Klezmer Solos, Duos
and Trios for three clarinets, or clarinet, soprano sax and trumpet, Israel
Brass Woodwind Publications, ORTAV, 2009. $17.95 www.ortav.com
and president of the Spanish Bass Clarinet Association, is a familiar performer to
ClarinetFest® attendees. Rubio’s introduction to the volume is given in Spanish and
English and describes his rationale for the
83-page book, its structure, and features.
The etudes were selected from works for
instruments of the same character as the
bass clarinet, such as bassoon and cello,
by well-known composers such as Julius
Weissenborn, David Popper and JeanPierre Duport. You may also recognize the
names Compta, Dotzauer, Eslava, Milde,
Ozi, Romero and Salviani among others.
The first etude is printed in three versions, in adjoining staffs: French (treble
clef), German (bass and treble with treble
read one octave higher) and Stravinsky’s
hybrid system. The second through 10th
studies are printed first in the French style
and then on the following pages in German notation. For bass clarinetists without a range to low C, ossia measures in
slightly smaller point size are printed directly above those measures that would
be unplayable. The etudes in this section
progress from quarter, half, and whole
notes to the inclusion of trills and 16th
notes. Now that a firm foundation has
been developed the remaining 20 etudes
are presented solely in German notation.
Ossias for lack of extended low range
continue to be included and as a didactic
feature easily read fingerings are provided
next to the increasing number of altissimo
notes. Different fingerings are given for
the same pitch depending on context. The
etudes continue to progress in difficulty
and many would make lovely unaccompanied concert repertoire. By the time one
has mastered the last etudes he or she is
ready to take on all the standard orchestral literature and has performed in range
up to printed A-flat one ledger line above
the treble staff, or four ledger lines and
The Clarinet
OR-TAV Music Publications has a
growing catalog of klezmer and Israeli
folk music for the clarinet. This volume by
Moldavian-born composer and accordionist Emil Kroiter reflects his original milieu
blending Jewish, Gypsy, Romanian, Turkish and Ukrainian styles. It is a delight to
use in several ways. A single clarinetist can
perform any of the pieces with the accompaniment of her choice thanks to the chord
symbols printed (in C) in the first clarinet
part. Noteworthy is the inclusion of a second solo part (B-flat instrument) for nine
of the tunes. Three of the pieces include a
third B-flat part resulting in a richness of
timbre. Any of the parts could be played
by clarinet and the lowest voice would be
also suitable for trumpet. Soprano saxophone is suggested for the second voice.
The familiar sound of augmented 2nds
and melodies with repeated notes in scalar passages will make klezmorim feel at
home. A few trills are suggested and the
repeats invite performers to experiment
with further embellishment. The pieces
provide a variety of tempos. Rhythmically, one is progressive with its 7/16 meter. All of the music is straightforward and
at an intermediate level. One unintended
outcome of the collection is due to the
wonderful play-along CD included. Accordionist Kroiter and his expert ensemble
in various combinations of violin, clarinet,
keyboard, bass guitar, and drums play a
very musical accompaniment with which
you can solo and consequently provide
a model for fledgling performers of this
style of music. They show you what to do
rhythmically, melodically, and musically
with the forms and chords provided.
Klezmer Diptych. Mazl Tov Shver un Shviger and Kolyn arranged by Mike Curtis for B-flat clarinet and piano, Advance
Music, 2010. www.advancemusic.com
U.S. distribution by Kendor Music.
This latest arrangement by Mike Curtis takes two well-known klezmer melo-
dies and makes them immediately sound
stylistically authentic due to the succinct
and appropriate ornamentation in the
clarinet part. The piano accompaniment
is likewise handy with its clear patterns
and voicing. Even with a clarinet range
to altissimo G, these two pieces are beginner level (though more experienced
players will enjoy them too) because of
the straightforward rhythms and choices
of key signatures. Combined into a twopiece suite Mazl Tov Shver un Shviger
(Congratulations to the In-Laws) and Kolyn (Coal) will bring joy as a recital-closer.
Mike Curtis’s website details his myriad
of woodwind publications in a variety of
styles available through three houses.
by Osiris Molina
Jean-Bernard Collès. Le Bonheur Des
Oiseaux, Opus 2, for solo B-flat clarinet, 2002. Editions Combre C06320.
www.editions-combre.com
Editions Combre has entrusted Guy
Deplus to oversee a selection of works by
composers who are professors at French
conservatories. The works are intended to
introduce students to contemporary music
under the guidance of composers experienced in teaching young students. JeanBernard Collès followed a path not uncommon to other French composers: He
started his career in another discipline before a transformative experience brought
him to composition. His six-minute unaccompanied clarinet work, Le Bonheur Des
Oiseaux (Happiness Bird), is a challenging contemporary work evoking the spirit
of Olivier Messiaen, and his magnum
opus Quatuor pour la fin du temps.
Le Bonheur is a florid interpretation of
the bird escaping from its restraints and
spreading its wings, as it were. In the preface to the score, Collès is adamant about
allowing full reign for dynamic and rhythmic contrast, and to minimize the sense of
persistent pulse. From a technical standpoint, Collès’ piece is solidly bound to
Messiaen’s work. The falling C to F-sharp
tritone is a core compositional reference,
establishing a kinship with the Abyss of
the Birds movement. Even the final statement of the new work incorporates the descending motive, confirming its roots with
those of its predecessor.
Le Bonheur Des Oiseaux contains
mostly downward slurred runs within the
standard range of the clarinet. There is one
noteworthy exception in terms of range –
of which Collès is insistent – of a C-sharp
in the upper altissimo near the conclusion.
Otherwise, the work is within traditional
contemporary parameters, avoiding multiphonics, multiple tonguing or circular
breathing. Le Bonheur Des Oiseaux is
a faithful homage to Messiaen, casting
much of the fundamental characteristics
of Abyss in a new light.
by Katrina R. Phillips
Margot Wright. Improvisation for Solo
Clarinet. Emerson Edition Ltd., 2005.
£4.00.
Margot Wright (1911–2000) was
awarded a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music to study piano and composition in 1928. Most agree she was influenced
by the late-romantic composers, though her
music also has an essence of her English
heritage with its folk songs. She composed
a cello sonata, a piano quintet, a work for
viola and piano, as well as a set of songs
for mezzo-soprano, clarinet obbligato and
piano. Improvisation for solo clarinet was
most likely written for her husband, who
was a semi-professional clarinetist. Improvisation uses no extended techniques, and
the range does not exceed an altissimo F.
Meter and rhythms are simple but move
from duple to triple groupings frequently.
This 3½ minute solo would be good for
a college freshman’s recital as sort of a
“relief” piece between more challenging
works. Even with an abundance of dynamics and tempo rubato indications, the piece
could come across as lackluster unless the
player emphasizes recurring motives, focal points of phrases, and gestures that are
transposed or varied in one way or another.
Given some heart, Improvisation by Margot Wright could truly blossom.
by Michele Gingras
Jack Cooper. Sonata for Clarinet and
Piano (with bongo in the first movement and percussion in the third movement). Approximately 16’23”. Available through the composer: jcooper1
@memphis.edu. Excerpts can be
heard at: www.classicalarchives.com/
work/665826.html.
This is a very interesting and unusual
clarinet sonata in that it fuses legit and
jazz/Latin styles. Both jazz players and
September 2011
classical players can play it since improvised parts are optional. However, the
complexity of Latin rhythms certainly
make it more approachable by experienced
jazz clarinetists and pianists. The composer plans to publish this work through
Advance in Germany in the future.
Jack Cooper is associate professor and
jazz and Studio Music Area Coordinator
at The University of Memphis, Tennessee.
He earned his degrees in composition from
California State University at Los Angeles
and the University of Texas at Austin. As
a saxophone/woodwind performer and
staff arranger, Dr. Cooper performed, recorded, and toured with the U.S. Army
“Jazz Knights” and he also performed
with Manhattan Transfer, Smokey Robinson, Kenny Rogers, the Temptations, and
many others.
The sonata’s three movements are: I.
Latin, II. Slow, à la Satie, III. Presto. The
first movement, Latin, contains a pleasant mix of “serious” composed material
mixed with Latin rhythms and optional
improvised sections (one for clarinet, and
one for piano near the end of the movement). The work would lose much of its
flair and originality without the improvised sections, so I especially recommend
it for jazz connoisseurs. Although technically quite approachable, the movement is
quite a task to put together rhythmically,
and the five-sharp key and added bongo
part add to the challenge.
The second movement, Slow, à la Satie,
lives up to its title by reminiscing Éric Satie’s famously simple and wonderful piano
Gymnopédies. It contains a cadenza that
can be expanded with improvised material.
The Presto combines a bebop feel with
legit modern compositional style, and contains an optional percussion part. Again,
there is an optional improvised section in
the middle of the movement. The recording I heard cleverly had the percussionist
start playing at the clarinet improvised
part, making the clarinet sonata suddenly
turn into a gig-like session. I wonder about
the key choice though; five sharps for the
piano and five flats for the clarinet.
The timing of this piece could easily vary between 10 and 16 minutes, depending on whether or not the performers
choose to play the improvised sections.
Choosing to take out those sections is a
sure way to eliminate the soul and purpose
of this piece, so I would bypass that option.
91
Shmuel Sajevich. Kaleidoscope – Israeli
Fusion and Ethnic Tunes for clarinet,
2010. 23 tunes for clarinet with chords
in B-flat. Israel Brass Woodwind Publications, OR-TAV. $11.95 www.ortav.
com
This is a new collection of “Israeli fusion music” by pianist, songwriter and
accordionist Shmuel (Mula) Sajevich.
Inspired by the “King of Klezmer” Giora
Fiedman during Feidman’s yearly seminar
“Clarinet & Klezmer in the Galilee” in
Safed, Sajevich spent two years composing instrumental tunes reflecting the Israel of the last 40 years, fusing the Jewish
music from his homeland Lithuania with
other idioms from the rich multi-cultural
melting pot of Israeli society. The result
is a kaleidoscope of new tunes presented
in a sort of “fake book” style for giggers.
Sajevich is a staff member at the seminar,
where Feidman has performed and recorded his music.
Because the book solely contains the
clarinet melody line with chords in B-flat
(to facilitate improvisation), it is probably
best suited for musicians who already possess a good knowledge of Jewish music
performance practices. Indeed, an introduction at the beginning of the book describes how Sajevich tried out his compositions with a clarinetist colleague before
publication. I can only assume the composer sat at the piano and played all accurate rhythms, chords, and melodic passages flawlessly without a score. But what
if you are a novice at this type of music?
Added bonuses for Jewish music novices in this book would have been tempo
markings, chords in C for the accompanying musician(s), accompaniment rhythmic suggestions that indicate what type
of dance beat is best for each song, and
perhaps even a few idiomatic ornaments
or clarinet sound effects to help render the
performance more authentic.
Sajevich’s compositions are pleasant,
soulful, and fun to play. The necessary
creation of a piano score or instrumental
band parts would help it become a welcome addition to this repertoire.
Arthur Benjamin. Jamaican Rumba, arranged for wind quintet and piano by
Irving Tallmadge, 2001. Emerson Edition 357. www.boosey.com. Score and
parts, $17.93. Difficulty 6 or 7.
92
Arthur Benjamin wrote Two Jamaican
Pieces as an orchestral suite in 1938, after
spending some time in the West Indies and
Latin America. The two pieces are entitled
Jamaican Song and Jamaican Rumba. The
Rumba became one of Benjamin’s most
popular works, and is frequently heard in
an arrangement by the composer for two
pianos. The wonderful, short, two-minute
version for clarinet and piano (edited by
Reginald Kell) was made popular by Emma
Johnson’s 1992 recording entitled Encore.
Arthur Benjamin was born in Australia
in 1893 and died in England in 1960. He
studied composition with Charles Villiers
Stanford, and harmony and counterpoint
with Thomas Dunhill. He had a fruitful
career as a composer, pianist, teacher,
and conductor in Australia, England and
Canada, and also as a director of the New
South Wales State Conservatorium of Music. He taught piano at the Royal College
of Music in London, where one of his students was the young Benjamin Britten. He
spent a year teaching in Portland, Oregon
from 1944 to 1945.
This arrangement for wind quintet and
piano is very well done by Irving Tallmadge. The famous main theme is shared
mostly by the flute and oboe. The clarinet
has one crack at it in unison with flute and
oboe, but mostly takes on an accompanying role for the rest of the piece. As with
the clarinet and piano version, the piano
part in this arrangement is prominent
rhythmically. This arrangement is perfect
for an encore or to close a program.
currently serves as the resident composer
for the McKeesport Symphony Orchestra
(PA) and the Beaver Valley Philharmonic
(PA) for which his Concerto for Bass
Clarinet and Orchestra was premièred in
2008. He also serves as resident composer
for the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center in Midland, Pennsylvania. Goodman
has written symphonic and operatic works,
and won several awards for his works for
piccolo as well as for saxophone.
At first glance, Todd Goodman’s Concerto for Bass Clarinet seems to promise
great things with enticing movement titles
including I: Promenade Comique (March
– Relaxed and Flowing – March), and II:
A Berceuse et Rêve (Mysterious – Song –
Samba – Song – Samba).
Unfortunately the overall effect falls
a bit short, both for performer and audience. There is good musical and compositional technique throughout, however
each movement seems to flow right into
each other with little distinct color change,
mood, or content. After about 15 minutes
of music, however, a Samba breaks the
monotony, only to return to its previous
calm and stoic flow.
A very liquid and smooth approach
to melody is of note, but as an entity, the
work seems to lack out-of-the-ordinary
musical ideas and clever melodies, which
could make it slip into oblivion. On the
other hand, it is technically manageable
and pleasant to listen to, rendering it accessible to more performers. Time will tell
which path it will take.
Todd Goodman. Concerto for Bass Clarinet and Orchestra. 20’. Full score,
$35.00. Orchestra is scored for 1/1/1/1
1/1/1/1 solo bass cl, timpani, two
percussion, piano, harp, and strings.
Wrong Note Media, Inc. Post Office
Box 122, Midland, PA 15059 Phone:
412-253-2020 [email protected] Todd Goodman: [email protected]. www.
wrongnotemedia.com.
Arturo Márquez. Zarabandeo for clarinet and piano. 10’. Peermusic Classical,
250 W. 57th St., Suite 820, New York,
NY 10107. peerclassical@peermusic.
com. www.peermusicclassical.com.
American composer Todd Goodman
was born in Pennsylvania in 1977 and received his degrees in composition from
the University of Colorado at Boulder
and Duquesne University in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. His principal composition
teachers include George Tsontakis, David
Stock, Claude Baker, Frank Wiley, Richard
Toensing and Louis Jorge Gonzalez. He
The Clarinet
Composed in 1995 and published in
2005, Zarabandeo for clarinet and piano
was commissioned by the Director of
Music of the Universidad Nacional Autonóma de México (UNAM). This very attractive work was first performed by clarinetist Luis Humberto Ramos and pianist
Joseph Olechovsky, to whom the piece is
dedicated. The Zarabanda (Sarabande)
was a popular Spanish dance in the 16th
and 17th centuries.
Winner of the 2006 Medalla de Oro de
Bellas Artes, Arturo Márquez is considered one of Latin America’s most popular composers. He was born in 1950 in
Alamos, Sonora, Mexico. He studied in
México, Paris, and California with such
composers as Joaquín Gutiérrez Heras,
Hector Quintanar, Jacques Castérède,
Morton Subotnick, Mel Powell and James
Newton. He is especially known for his
series of danzóns, which are works based
on a Cuban dance that migrated to Veracruz, México. 
About Zarabandeo, the composer explains that he incorporated a Tangueo
(Tango) and a Danzoneo (Danzón), two
of his favorite dances, “because of the
relationship between people, music and
dance, and because I hoped to write something for clarinet and piano that might inflame the passions.”
Zarabandeo’s clarinet part contains
eight solid pages of noodling technique
and definitely keeps the player busy. At
first, it may seem an easy read from beginning to end, however, some of the Latin
rhythms throughout can be challenging to
put together with piano and the notes take
complex turns melodically, so it can be
quite demanding, especially for novices
of the style. Notwithstanding, Zarabandeo
seems to have already gained an enviable
rank on the recital stage, judging from the
number of performances posted on YouTube. My favorite can be found at: www.
youtube.com/watch?v=i58SGZ61keQ. A
chop buster well worth the effort, if one’s
goal is to wow an audience.
by Alice Meyer
James Rae. Introducing Clarinet Duets:
Easy Duets for Beginners. Universal
Edition, 2005. £9.95.
Introducing Clarinet Trios: Easy Trios for
Beginners. Universal Edition, 2005.
£12.95.
Introducing Clarinet Quartets: Easy
Quartets for Beginners. Universal Edition, 2005. £17.95.
net Quartets are three outstanding books
for beginning students that are masterfully
written with solid pedagogy. The books
are composed with the progressing student in mind.
Introducing Clarinet Duets contains 12
pieces arranged in three sections: Homophonic, Polyphonic and Concert Pieces.
The last four duets categorized as Concert Pieces include both compositional
elements. This book can be started at an
early stage in a student’s study, and is sequential in development. The first duet
contains only half notes, and a range of
chalumeau register B-flat to open G. By
the time the student has reached the Concert Pieces, they have played in different
meters and musical styles, progressively
harder rhythms, an expanding range, and
more complex dynamics. The duets have
names appropriate to the music: Ancient
Legend is a sustained modal melody; The
Old Dripping Tap has short staccato notes
in major second harmony; and The Funky
Frankfurter has a funk rock rhythm.
There are “Top Tips” at the beginning
of each duet given in three languages:
English, German, and French that assist
the student with a crucial aspect of the
duet. The instructions contained throughout the book use British terms for note
values, but that is easily translated, and it
may be helpful for a student to learn the
terms “crochet” and “minim.” The duets
are housed in a colorful laminated cover.
The paper is of excellent quality, and the
printing is easy to read. Each duet is one
page long; there are no page turns required. I have the utmost respect for the
pedagogy of James Rae – he has done an
excellent job with this book!
Introducing Clarinet Trios and Introducing Clarinet Quartets are arranged in
similar fashion to Introducing Clarinet
Duets. The books each contain 12 trios
and quartets, with sections of Homophonic, Polyphonic, and Concert Pieces;
however, the first pieces require the student to be more advanced than the duets.
The range of the first trio is chalumeau
register G to throat tone A, and the first
quartet is chalumeau register E to throat
tone A. Both contain rhythms of half and
quarter notes. Clever names appropriate to
the music are also used in the trios: Spinning Jenny has two of the parts trading
off running eighth notes while the third
part plays the melody; and in Deep Pan
Boogie, one part plays a running bass line
while the other two parts play together in
syncopation. The quartets contain Ringtones, in which each player enters on a
different beat of the measure until all are
playing a full chord; and my personal favorite, Olympic Fanfare, which has all the
pomp and circumstance associated with
the title. Individual parts are printed in a
paper booklet on excellent quality paper,
and easy to read print. James Rae has
composed some creative chamber music
for beginning clarinet students. This is a
must have for every teacher.
by Cindy Wolverton
Enrique Granados. March for clarinet
quartet, arranged by Russell Denwood.
Kendor Music, 2001. $9.00
Granados was a 19th-century Spanish
pianist and composer. This short transcription (two minutes) would be appropriate
for an intermediate clarinet quartet. It is
scored for four B-flat clarinets, but the
fourth clarinet part could very easily be
played on bass clarinet. Most of the melodic material is given to the first and sec-
James Rae studied clarinet, bass clarinet, piano and composition at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He is
one of Europe’s most published composers, and his primary interest lies in the area
of educational wind music. An active performer and teacher, he is the leader of the
Phoenix Saxophone Quartet, and is saxophone professor for the National Youth
Orchestra of Great Britain.
Introducing Clarinet Duets, Introducing Clarinet Trios, and Introducing Clari
September 2011
93
ond clarinets, with the other two voices
playing a supporting role. The range of
the first clarinet part extends to altissimo
D, but the other voices stay in the chalumeau and clarion registers. The rhythms
are straightforward and there are only two
tempo changes, making this a very accessible work for young clarinetists.
Scott Joplin . Easy Winners for clarinet
quartet, arranged by Frank J . Halferty .
Kendor Music, 2001 . $10 .00
Scott Joplin, the self-proclaimed “king
of ragtime music” wrote Easy Winners
for solo piano in 1901 while living in St.
Louis. This arrangement is for three B-flat
clarinets and bass clarinet. Each of the
parts is somewhat challenging technically
and rhythmically. The melodic material is
divided fairly evenly between the voices
and there are many syncopated rhythms
and chromatic passages. The difficulty
level would be appropriate for advanced
high school or college-level students.
Lively and engaging for both performers and audiences, this four-minute piece
would do well on a recital.
TomTurpin . The Harlem Rag for clarinet
quartet, arranged by Charles D . Yates .
Kendor Music, 2002 . $9 .00
The Harlem Rag dates from 1897 and
is known as the first rag published by an
African-American composer. Tom Turpin
was a six-foot three, 350-pound pianist
with a bad leg who jacked his piano up on
stilts so he could play standing up in the St.
Louis speakeasies, where he was also the
bouncer. This transcription is scored for
four B-flat clarinets, but the fourth clarinet
part could very easily be played on bass
clarinet. Almost all the melodic material
is given to the first clarinet, but a secondary theme is given to the fourth clarinet.
The range is limited to the chalumeau
and clarion registers, but the syncopated
rhythms characteristic of a rag would provide a nice challenge for an intermediate
clarinet quartet. The duration of the work
is four minutes.
R.Russo . Festival Rag for clarinet quintet . Emerson Edition, 2001 . $14 .95
This piece was originally published
by Mayflower Enterprises. The owner of
that company donated all his copyrights to
Emerson Edition before he died and gave
94
no information about this piece or its composer R. Russo. It appears to be an original ragtime two-step for four B-flat clarinets and bass clarinet. In each of the three
sections, the melody appears in a different voice (first, second, and third clarinet
parts) while the fourth clarinet and bass
clarinet play a supporting role throughout.
The bass clarinet part is written in bass
clef. The range of the first clarinet part
extends to altissimo E-flat and the upper
three parts are fairly demanding technically and rhythmically. It would be appropriate for college-level students. This
is a well-written piece that is fun to play.
Given its short duration (three minutes),
Festival Rag would make a nice encore.
CD Reviews
by James Brookmyre
backofen &mozart–Theme&Variations.Jane Booth, clarinets and basset
horn; Eybler Quartet: Julia Wedman
and Aisslinn Nosky, violins; Patrick
G . Jordan, viola; Max Mandel, second
viola (Op . 15); Margaret Gay, cello .
J . G . H . Backofen: Quintet in F Major for basset horn and strings, Op . 9;
and Quintet in B-flat Major for clarinet
and strings, Op . 15; Quintet in A Major
for basset clarinet and strings, K . 581 .
ANALEKTA RECORDS AN 2 9949 .
Total time 74:44 . www .ArkivMusic .
com and www .cduniverse .com
Canadian string quartet, The Eybler
Quartet (www .eyblerquartet .com) has released its second album on the Analekta
label, here presenting music by Backofen
and Mozart . The quartet has worked together since 2004 and its members regularly appear as soloists and orchestral
The Clarinet
musicians with groups such as Tafelmusik
and I Furioso . Those familiar with their
impressive debut album of quartets by
Joseph Leopold Edler von Eybler will
already be accustomed to the group’s intellectual and sensitive attention to detail
and communication in which this album
certainly provides no less .
Joined by the English clarinetist Jane
Booth (www .janebooth .net), the group is
complimented by her virtuosity and musicality as she plays replicas of early clarinet, basset clarinet and basset horn . Jane
Booth is currently Head of the Historical
Performance program at the Guildhall
School of Music & Drama in London .
With an international career spanning
more than 20 years, her work has led her
to play as soloist, chamber musician and
orchestral principal and player with such
ensembles as the Orchestra of the Age of
Enlightenment, Orchestre des ChampsElysées, Tafelmusik, Academy of Ancient
Music, La Petite Bande, The Gabrieli
Consort & Players, Amsterdam Baroque
Orchestra and The Sixteen, amongst others . Booth is also an active performer of
the chalumeau, and this versatility embraces a vast repertoire, with works ranging from Handel, Telemann and Vivaldi,
through to Mozart, Wagner, Brahms,
Mahler and Debussy – all on historically
appropriate instruments .
Apart from the very attractive album
cover, to many the draw-in factor of this
recording is Mozart’s famous and highly
lyrical quintet which the group approaches
with vehemence and intelligence . Booth
performs here on a basset clarinet made by
Peter van der Poel in 2007 . From the offset
of the hypnotic first movement, to the furious speeds and eloquent embellishments
by Booth encountered in the final movement (and imitated tastefully by first violinist Wedman), we are offered a performance that is both ingenious and inspiring .
Johann Georg Heinrich Backofen
(1768-–1839), contemporary of Mozart,
was a performer, instrument builder, and
educator . His quintets presented on this
disc are delightful and expressive, demanding top finger work from the soloist, but
also allowing for exploration of the more
subtle and tender colors of the instrument,
for which Booth’s delicious tone suits so
perfectly in the slower and reflective variations . Backofen composes well for both instruments, and his knowledge as a builder
and educator is evident in his idiosyncratic
writing, particularly for the basset horn .
Marvelously, the composer wishes to show
off the strings as well as the solo clarinet,
often writing for the cellist in a continuo
fashion, and calling for string interludes
between the clarinet variations . The instruments used on these quintets are copies by
the English maker Daniel Bangham (basset horn, 1989, after a copy of a Viennese
instrument in F by Griesbacher, c . 1800;
and a 10-keyed German instrument, 1991,
after Grenser, c .1810) .
This disc really is confirmation of the
pride that record label Analekta takes in
producing a clean and focused sound,
enabling the listener to hear every instrument individually, as if it were a live performance or rehearsal . Perhaps not always
favorable to have such an effect in one’s
own home, though readily forgiven they
are for the excellence of balance and for
the true and unaffected quality of these
beautiful instruments .
Historically informed performance is
always exciting, and this disc with its gut
strings, boxwood clarinets, and refreshing
unequal temperament, really does persuade listeners to attune their ears to these
intrinsic sounds and appreciate that what
we’re hearing is as close as possible to the
sound-world for which Mozart and Backofen were writing .
by Michele Gingras
Jewfro . Klezmer Juice: Gustavo Bulgach,
(clarinet), Ken Rosser, Dan Weinstein,
Nicole Falzone, and Antonio de Santanna . Collectively they play: clarinet,
saxophone, piano, percussion, guitars,
electric sitar, nylon string guitar, vocals, violin, viola, cornet, trombone,
sousaphone and electric bass . 17 Jewish pieces for klezmer band . Total time
65:20 . www .klezmerjuice .com
Klezmer Juice is comprised of five
30-something young and creative musicians (plus four guests for this recording) .
They mix Yiddish soul with old and new
music from around the world . Jewfro is
their second album, recorded in 2008 .
Gustavo Bulgach’s klezmer clarinet style
is a bit unusual and maybe even “raw,”
with a hefty Sydney Béchet-like saxophonish tone, mixed with a touch of Giora
Feidman’s refined sensitivity, peppered
with his own unique soulful, growling,
and folk style .
RECORDS . Total time 46:01 . www .
earspasm .com
Although klezmer is mostly recognized as the music of the Jewish people
from Eastern Europe and the U .S ., there
is a rich tradition and history of this music
in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, and many
other Latin American countries . Klezmer
Juice bandleader Gustavo Bulgach was
born and raised in Argentina, and lives in
Los Angeles .
The song-mix resembles what one
might hear during a modern Jewish party
or celebration, or what a gigger might expect to see in the books, which is the good
stuff . Fast and slow traditional Yiddish
tunes, a few Latin American-influenced
songs, lots of improv and fun, and some
solid, energetic and straightforward music
making . Examples reflecting the variety
of their repertoire are: “Ose Shalom” (Israeli folk tune), “Beautiful As the Moon”
(jazz standard), “Yoshke-yoshke” (Yiddish song), “Librescu Tango” (Latin),
“Russian Sher No . 2” (Eastern European
Jewish dance), “Erev Shel Shoshanim”
(Israeli love song), “Happy Nigun” (modern Klezmer tune), “Miserlu” (Greek folk
song), Hava Nagila, (Ukrainian Jewish
tune), “Odessa Bulgarish” Klezmer dance
tune), and “B’ashana Havaha” (popular
Israeli folk song) .
Not terribly original in a way, but then
again, a party is a party and this music fits
the bill .
Spin Cycle. Michael Lowenstern, bass
clarinet; Todd Reynolds, violin (on one
track); and auxiliary instruments: Kaossilator, body percussion, harmonica,
WiCoder, hand percussion, and EWI .
Original music by Michael Lowenstern:
Trip; Polegnala; Bam Pip; Through the
Plexiglas; Boot (composed with Todd
Reynolds); My Mouth; s.b.b.s.; Abbey; 8 ½; Sort of not so. EARSPASM
September 2011
I reviewed several Lowenstern CDs in
past issues of The Clarinet and this could
be my favorite so far . It is a good find for
enthusiasts of jazz and experimental improvisation . Most tunes feature improvised bass clarinet lines accompanied by
all kinds of rhythmic loops, may they be
overdubbed by the bass clarinet, or synthesizer, mouth sound effects, drums, or
the like . The music builds up and takes
various turns, either on an experimental
journey or jazzy funky fun stuff .
Michael Lowenstern is a leading bass
clarinetist and has composed music for
concert, film, dance and various other new
media over the span of his 20-year career .
He is currently on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music .
On this recording, Lowenstern works
with a program called Logic, which could
be described as a pro version of GarageBand (also made by Apple) . Beyond the
bass clarinet, he plays three harmonicas,
the Electronic Wind Synthesizer (EWI),
and an ultra-compact synthesizer, called a
Kaossilator . If you never heard of such a
gizmo, you owe it to yourself to check it
out on YouTube, it can create insanely fun
sound loops and overdubs them to create
great rhythmic effects .
I won’t describe all the tunes but I will
mention my four favorites . Trip is my top
choice, with great slap-tongue effects,
improvisations, fun tunes and rhythms . I
can imagine any legit musician having a
real “trip” while having a go at this one .
Another favorite is Polegnala, with all
kinds of funky and wonderful synthesizer
looped licks, as well as 8 ½ , which is a
delightful bass clarinet improv with lots
of looped patterns overdubbed by the
95
bass clarinet and drums . Sort Of Not So
includes many voice sound effects, along
with slow ambiance synthesizer music underneath the bass clarinet improvisation .
Two other tunes are My Mouth, written in honor of Lowenstern’s father who
introduced him to his first instrument, the
harmonica . It combines avant-garde-like
flavors with funky fun, so I think I will
label it “experimental .” Why not? Lowenstern lives in Brooklyn, New York, one of
the landmarks where musical events of an
experimental nature is the norm .
Abbey is a piece describing how he
started playing the clarinet . I interviewed
him on Facebook and after learning his
story, I begged him to allow me to print it
here . He writes: “The story of Abbey (my
first band director), was that when I started
on clarinet in the 4th grade, I was awful . I
was awful in part because I was playing on
the same clarinet my mom played, and my
sister played, and it was a wreck . Because
everyone in my school had shiny, new
plastic clarinets, and I had this old, dull,
wooden one, I would grease it up before
band with a load of cork grease in order
to make it shiny . I think that might have
added to the reason that I couldn’t play it .
Anyway, in the 6th grade, I was last chair,
and Abbey decided I was holding back the
band, and moved me to where I would do
less damage: to the bass clarinet . . . And the
rest is history I guess .”
The CD liner notes are minimalist, however a good deal of information about his
music can be found on his websites: www .
earspasm .com and www .slowboys .com .
As in a number of his recordings, the music
found here will undoubtedly be appreciated
by the keen and well-exercised ear of the
experienced metropolitan concertgoer .
by Thomas Jacobsen
Remembering Song . Evan Christopher,
clarinet; Bucky Pizzarelli, acoustic guitar; James Chirillo, electric guitar; Greg
Cohen, bass . Evan Christopher: “The
Remembering Song – Prelude;” “The
Wrath of Grapes;” “The River by the
Road;” “The Remembering Song – Interlude;” “You Gotta Treat It Gentle;”
“Serenade;” “The Remembering Song;”
“Waltz for All Souls;” Henry Creamer
and Turner Layton: “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans;” “Dear Old Southland;” Tommy Ladnier: “Mojo Blues;”
Jelly Roll Morton: My Home Is in a
96
Southern Town .” ARBORS RECORDS
ARCD 19383 . Total time 60:20 . www .
arborsrecords .com or mrd@gate .net
As I have suggested before in this journal, Evan Christopher is widely recognized as a rising star in jazz clarinetistry
– despite performing in a style (pre-bop)
and being based in a city (New Orleans)
far from the media mainstream . His growing reputation is perhaps no more evident
than in the naming of his 2010 album Finesse as the “Jazz Album of the Year” by
the Sunday Times of London in December
of last year . Unfortunately, that announcement was made just after my review of the
album (in the March issue of this journal)
went to press .
The CD under consideration here was
actually recorded some six months or so
before the Finesse album . I have to admit
that, upon first listening, it did not seem to
measure up to the latter or some of Christopher’s other recent recordings . But I
would hasten to add that, as is so often the
case, first impressions are not always accurate . Indeed, I found this a most pleasant and listenable disc . Understated as it
is, it is, in my judgment, New Orleans
clarinet playing through and through – no
doubt about it – though Evan is the only
New Orleans resident in this fine group .
Christopher is joined in this drumless/
pianoless quartet context by three of the
top East Coast string-playing jazzmen (all
of whom, of course, are well acquainted
with New Orleans music): the veteran
Bucky Pizzarelli on acoustic (not exclusively rhythm) guitar; Jame Chirillo,
electric guitar (with many fine solos); and
bassist Greg Cohen . All contribute mightily to the success of this recording .
Evan Christopher has increasingly become recognized as a composer as well as
The Clarinet
instrumentalist, and all but four of the album’s tunes are his original compositions .
Moreover, the four exceptions are presented in an exceptional/original manner .
While the two guitars and bass plus
clarinet might suggest a bow to Django –
and that would not be surprising in view
of some of Christopher’s recent albums –
I would say that only one track (Evans’s
“Wrath of Grapes”) gave me that feeling . In fact, I would say that the shadow
of New Orleanian Sidney Bechet loomed
largest over this collection, not so much in
Evan’s playing as in the inspiration behind
the album’s concept . In Bechet’s semimythical autobiography Treat It Gentle,
he talks about his music: “It’s the remembering song . There’s so much to remember . There’s so much wanting and there’s
so much sorrow, and there’s so much waiting for the sorrow to end .”
The Bechet influence is also present
in several of the tunes . “The River by the
Road” is another reference to a passage in
Bechet’s autobiography; “Mojo Blues” is
by New Orleans trumpeter Tommy Ladnier, a longtime collaborator of Bechet
both musically and in the tailor shop they
operated jointly during the Depression;
“You Gotta Treat It Gentle” is clearly
drawn from the title of Bechet’s autobiography; “Dear Old Southland” was,
of course, a tune often played by Bechet
(mostly on soprano sax); and so on .
But there is more of New Orleans as
well . Jelly Roll’s “My Home is in a Southern Town” (the original sheet music of
which hangs on my study wall in front
of me as I write these lines) is a complex
and not often heard piece by the great piano master . Christopher’s “Waltz for All
Souls” is a bow to another New Orleans
clarinet tradition – Evan calls it “the New
Orleans Revival” vocabulary – the woodwind champion of which was the famous
George Lewis . In this piece Evan evokes
the oft-imitated Lewis sound .
Evan Christopher lived in Paris following the devastation associated with Hurricane Katrina . He says, “Essentially, Delta
Bound with [pianist] Dick Hyman [recorded just a few months after Katrina and
discussed by me in the September, 2008
issue of this journal] was about leaving
New Orleans but staying tied to the city
through the music even though I wasn’t
sure I’d ever live here again . This record
is about being back .”
And back he is, newly married, and –
we hope – permanently settled in the city .
ClarinetisKing–SongsofGreatClarinetists. Dave Bennett, clarinet; Tad
Weed, piano; Paul Keller, bass; Peter
Siers, drums . Cole Porter: “Begin the
Beguine;” Roby Mellin: “Stranger on
the Shore;” L . Hampton/T . Wilson/B .
Goodman: “Dizzy Spells;” Joe Primrose: “St . James Infirmary;” Jimmy
Davis/Charles Mitchell: “You Are
My Sunshine;” Traditional: “Nobody
Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen;” Chu
Berry/Anne Caldwell/Tom Delaney:
“Wire Brush Stomp;” Lorenz Hart/
Richard Rodgers: “Where or When;”
Dick Windfree/Phil Boutelje: “China
Boy;” Barney Bigard/Duke Ellington:
“Mood Indigo;” Ira and George Gershwin: “Oh, Lady Be Good;” Artie Shaw:
“Nightmare .” ARBORS RECORDS
ARCD 19409 . Total time 58:27 . www .
arborsrecords .com or mrd@gate .net
This is my first exposure to the clarinet
music (he also plays piano and guitar) of
Dave Bennett, despite the fact that this is
his third recording (and second on the Arbors label) . A Michigander by birth, Bennett, now 27, took up the clarinet at age 10
and played his first professional gig at 13 .
By the age of 15 he was playing regularly
with a Dixieland band and was soon gigging with a variety of groups around Detroit . He’s clearly a talented young man .
At the age of 19 (2003), Bennett
formed his “Tribute to Benny Goodman
Sextet,” and his first two recordings were
tributes to BG . His 2009 Arbors CD was a
celebration of “100 Years of Benny .” It is
pretty clear that Goodman had a profound
influence on Bennett from early on .
That influence continues to be evident
in this recording though he says he’s working to develop his own sound and style . “[I]
am always interested in stretching myself,”
he emphasizes . To this listener’s ears, however, that is only really obvious on the recording’s last track, his somewhat bizarre
arrangement of Artie Shaw’s theme song,
“Nightmare .” While I have to say that I
prefer the original, one certainly must give
Bennett credit for trying “a different approach .” Calling it his “favorite track on
the CD,” he admits that it is also “the most
far out .” I certainly cannot argue with that .
I would call the CD’s remaining tracks
rather straightforward mainstream swing,
played very well by a clarinetist who knows
his way around the horn . The subtitle of
the recording is a slight misrepresentation
in that Goodman and his music dominate,
with clear references to Pete Fountain
(himself heavily influenced by Goodman)
as well as Artie Shaw . The one aberration is
the puzzling inclusion of “Stranger on the
Shore,” a tune that made a pop idol out of
Brit trad clarinetist Acker Bilk in the early
1960s . I would be hard pressed to rate Bilk
on the level of greatness achieved by the
three players just mentioned .
Bennett is heard here with his regular working quartet, a fine group led by
pianist Tad Weed . The clarinetist deviates
from the quartet context on two occasions:
working only with drummer Siers on
“Wire Brush Stomp” in a (hypothetical)
bow to Goodman and Krupa . Likewise,
he is heard with bassist Keller on Barney
Bigard’s “Mood Indigo” (where he sounds
more like Fountain than Bigard) .
Dave Bennett is most certainly a talented young clarinetist who plays ballads
with taste and sensitivity with the technical
chops to handle up-tempo numbers with
ease and confidence . “I want to make new
music, a new style,” he says . A worthy aim
to be sure, and I look forward to following
him as he proceeds down that path .
by Wesley Ferreira
Arirang. Robert DiLutis, clarinet; Laurel
Larsen, piano; Henri Büsser: Cantegril;
J . Vincent Russo: Arirang; Louis Cahuzac: Cantilene; Luciano Berio: Lied;
Gabriel Pierné: Canzonetta; C . SaintSaëns: Sonata, Op . 167; C .M . von Weber: Concertino, Op . 26; H . Baermann
(often attributed to R . Wagner): Adagio .
THE REED MACHINE JJD003 . Total
time 55:09 . www .cduniverse .com
September 2011
Robert DiLutis is currently associate
professor of clarinet at Louisiana State
University School of Music and principal
clarinetist with the Baton Rouge Symphony . He taught previously at the Eastman School of Music and served as assistant principal and E-flat clarinetist with
the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra .
DiLutis also toured with the New York
Philharmonic on its historic 2008 trip to
North Korea . The trip has special significance to his latest recording, entitled Arirang . Arirang is likely the most popular
and well-known North Korean folk song
and is loosely translated to mean “beautiful dear .” Following his trip to North
Korea, DiLutis commissioned composer
John Russo to arrange the song in the
form of a theme and variations for unaccompanied clarinet . The work is very well
constructed . It begins and ends with the
unadorned folk song and contains seven
short variations in between . The variations
are diverse and spectacularly performed
by DiLutis . The piece captures the imagination, and I anticipate that it will become
an often-performed work by professionals and students alike . Arirang appears
second on this live concert recording and
is complimented by a collection of wellknown works from the clarinet literature .
Four pieces by French composers appear on this disc, including Cantegril, Op .
72 by Henri Büsser, which opens the CD .
The listener is immediately presented with
DiLutis’ beautiful tone . It is round and resonant with an appealing sweetness . He performs with clear and clean technique, and
demonstrates consistency and evenness of
timbre throughout the range of the instrument . The three other works are Cahuzac’s
Cantilene, Pierné’s Canzonetta, and SaintSaëns’s Sonata . DiLutis manages to bring
97
out the charm in each of these works with
pianist Laurel Larsen . In particular, the performance of Canzonetta is a stand out for
its musical interpretation .
Besides Arirang, Berio’s 1983 work
Lied is the only other unaccompanied
work on the disc . Dedicated to clarinetist
Eduardo de Benedetti, the work is much
lighter than Berio’s Sequenza IXa for clarinet . The musical language is neither tonal,
atonal, nor serial; the work contains contrasting lyric and staccato motifs which
repeat and evolve . DiLutis displays effortless articulation and musical imagination
in his performance . Performing with richness and darkness of tone, the performance
of this Lied gives a nod to the 19th-century
tradition of German art song and the union
between music and poetry .
The final two works on this disc are
by Germanic composers . Weber’s Concertino, perhaps one of the most widely
recorded clarinet works, is presented as
the penultimate track on this recording .
No doubt, through the years listeners have
experienced many different interpretations of this piece . It is always fascinating
to hear it presented by various performers,
and this is no exception .
The final work on the disc is the Adagio
for clarinet and strings, often attributed
to Richard Wagner . A manuscript of the
work was first discovered in 1922 and was
thought to have been commissioned by
clarinetist Christian Rummel from Wagner . The Adagio was published in 1926 by
Breitkopf & Härtel . Almost immediately
after publication many felt that the work
did not fit with Wagner’s compositional
style, and that it belonged to an earlier
era . In her book, Clarinet Virtuosi of the
Past, Pamela Weston gives the correct
composer . Adagio is in fact the second
movement of Heinrich Baermann’s third
98
Clarinet Quintet, Op . 23 . DiLutis’s depth
of musicianship is eminently well suited
to this repertoire, and his performance
ends the truly satisfying listening experience that this CD offers .
Recorded live in concert at Newberry
College (South Carolina), this recording
exhibits the natural and resonant sound of
the hall . Most listeners who have become
so used to listening to well-mastered studio recordings will find this disc quite refreshing . It allows for a feeling of intimacy
with the performers, though the recording
does not include audience applause . Arirang is a great addition to any clarinetist’s
CD library . I heartily recommend it .
by Lori Ardovino
Clarinet Rhapsody . Christine MacDonnell, clarinet; Ron Levy, piano . Leo
Weiner: Peregi Verbunk, Op . 40; Debussy: Première Rhapsody; Schumann:
Fantasy Pieces, Op . 73; Poulenc: Sonata; James Waterson: Morceau de Concert: Andante and Polonaise . Produced
by Christine MacDonnell . Total time
51:08 . www .cdbaby .com and www .
amazon .com
The Clarinet
Clarinetist Christine McDonnell has
had a diverse career as an orchestral, chamber and solo artist . She has performed at
the Kennedy Center in Washington D .C .,
abroad as principal clarinetist with the Orquestra Sinfonica Brasileira and the Nova
Philharmonia Porquguesa . She has served
two presidents as clarinetist in the “President’s Own” Marine Band . Additionally
she is a freelance musician in New York
City and is a Broadway regular on shows
such as The Lion King and Mary Poppins.
Ron Levy, internationally acclaimed
pianist, appears regularly as a soloist and
as a collaborating pianist with some of the
world’s leading singers and chamber players . He is pianist/harpsichordist with numerous orchestras and is a founding member of the Hudson Trio, Kaleidoscope, and
the New World Trio to mention a few .
This CD is a good sampling of the
classic clarinet repertoire . McDonnell has
a pleasing tone with a deep, rich sound .
Her technique in Weiner’s Peregi Verbunk
(Pereg recruiting dance) is exceptional,
demonstrating a high degree of control .
Her florid decoration of the gypsy dance
is a perfect example of the accented verbunkos style . While her interpretation
of Debussy’s Rhapsody is traditional,
movement I, “Zart und mit Ausdruck” of
Schumann’s Fantasy Pieces portrays a
melancholy atmosphere, with a slightly
more than leisurely tempo, almost to the
point of being lethargic . However, the
second and third movements are more
emblematic . The Poulenc Sonata demonstrates her mastery of the clarinet and interpretation through dexterity and perception . My favorite movement performed is
the second, the “Romanza,” which is expressive and tastefully done .
Along with the Grand Trio Concertante for three clarinets and other works,
James Waterson’s Andante and Polonaise
is one of his most popular clarinet works .
McDonnell’s conveyance of the Andante
and flawless technique in the spirited Polonaise are well suited and complementary .
Ron Levy is an excellent pianist and an
empathetic collaborator with McDonnell .
His technique is sound and execution sensitive to the nuance required by the works
performed .
This CD is an excellent collection of
the standard clarinet repertoire . It would
be welcome on my shelf and I’m sure on
many others .
by Randy Salman
FirstFlight . Simon Wyrsch, clarinet; Jürg
Schneebeli, piano; Willi Frauenfelder,
bass; Lukas Mantel, drums . Simon
Wyrsch: “Cladrum,” “Now or Never,” “There will ever be another me,”
“Soloflight,” “Nimbus,” “How can I
say it?”; Charlie Parker: “Now’s the
time;” Antonio Carlos Jobim: “Look
to the sky;” Klemmer/Lewis/Wyrsch:
“Just Friend;” Kenny Barron: “Voyage .” ALTRISUONI AS212 . Total time
68:50 . www .altrisuoni .com
Swedish clarinetist Simon Wyrsch
studied at the Zurich University of Arts,
where he received a Master in Music Education . Although Wyrsch is only in his 20s,
he has already performed and participated
in master classes with a wide variety of
jazz artists, most notably, Eddie Daniels,
David Liebman, Cedar Walton, Roy Hargrove and Lewis Nash . In the past, we had
many great clarinetists (Benny Goodman,
Artie Shaw, Buddy DeFranco) performing
and leading groups . Jazz clarinetists have
been sorely missing since the swing era .
It is wonderful to see a young and gifted
jazz musician like Simon Wyrsch added
to the list of contemporary musicians who
choose to focus on the clarinet .
Wyrsch performs a wide variety of musical styles, including classical, jazz, free,
musicals, etc . His eclectic tastes in music
are apparent on his debut recording First
Flight. This 2006 recording features a
program of six original tunes by Wyrsch,
as well as compositions by Charlie Parker,
Antonio Carlos Jobim and Kenny Barron .
Also included is the jazz standard “Just
Friends .” There is a great amount to admire in this CD . The compositions offer
a variety of styles, tempos and textures .
Although clarinet is featured extensively,
there are solo opportunities for all the musicians . It is apparent that Wyrsch has put
in a huge amount of time and effort perfecting his abilities . He displays virtuosic
technique, a well-centered but very flexible
tone, and mastery of many contemporary
techniques (key trills, multiphonics, microtonal fingerings, flutter tongue, glissandi,
etc .) which he uses in his improvisations .
Especially noteworthy is his original
composition entitled “Soloflight .” It is
performed unaccompanied, and one can
hear a variety of effects that are germane
to his style . Other enjoyable originals include “How can I say it?” which showcases one of Simon’s strongest performances on the CD . This solo is beautifully
shaped and understated from beginning to
end . I also enjoy Wyrsch’s original contrafact “There will ever be another me,”
an interesting reharmonization of the classic tune “There Will Never Be Another
You .” Charlie Parker’s “Now’s the Time”
allows the group an opportunity to stretch
out on a traditional blues, complete with a
quote from a different Parker tune, “Billie’s Bounce .” The very beautiful Jobim
bossa-nova “Look to the sky” offers an-
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September 2011
99
other restrained but lovely performance .
In this setting, the quote from Jobim’s
“Girl From Ipanema” seems appropriate,
but somewhat predictable . “Just Friends”
opens with a rubato introduction by clarinet and piano before settling into a nice
groove with a few contemporary touches .
The recording ends with a burning version
of Kenny Barron’s “Voyage,” a tune often
associated with the late Stan Getz .
The recording isn’t perfect . Wyrsch
tends to repeat a number of his favorite
ideas a bit too often . He has a tendency to
overplay, and some of the tunes seem to
go on far too long . It feels as though he is
trying to fit everything he knows into his
solo . This is especially true on the opening original “Cladrum,” a duet for clarinet and drums . This piece features an effective extended solo by drummer Lucas
Mantel . The clarinet improvisation is generally free and full of fourth patterns, diminished licks, and a variety of extended
techniques . Unfortunately, at more than
16 minutes, this performance seems to be
overindulgent . I felt this tune would be
better positioned later in the CD .
This is a solid debut from a young musician who we will be hearing more about
in the future . His style is still strongly embedded in his influences by greats such as
Eddie Daniels . I look forward to hearing
Simon Wyrsch develop more of his own
sound and style as he matures .
by Scott Locke
ChicagoClarinetTrio . Larry Combs, Julie DeRoche, Wagner Campos, soprano
clarinets and bass clarinet; assisted in
last selection by Rick Ferguson, piano;
Brad Opland, double bass; Fred Selvaggio, percussion . Andrzej Anweiler: Diversions for two clarinets; Max
Rami: Challenging Etudes for Brilliant
Clarinetists; John McCabe: Bagatelles
for two clarinets; Larry Combs: Diversions for three clarinets; Eddie Mora
Bermudez: Retrato VI. ALBANY RECORDS TROY1211 . Total time 53:18 .
www .albanyrecords .com
Chicago-based Larry Combs, Julie
DeRoche and Wagner Campos are widelyknown players throughout the U .S . and
beyond . In their ensemble’s newest offering the Chicago Clarinet Trio presents a
program of wonderful 20th and 21st-century works . The compositions are beautifully crafted and although mostly disso100
nant, are accessible and would appeal to
both performers and audiences .
The CD opens with Andrzej Anweiler’s (1947-2009) Diversions performed
on B-flat soprano clarinets by Combs and
DeRoche . The opening “Allegro” features
dissonant counterpoint so well written, one
would think there were more than two clarinets playing . “Pimp the Cat” follows which
includes jazzy swing moments as well as
straight 16th be-bop licks . “Tama-no-ura”
is slower, introspective and includes bent
notes . The “Fughetto” movement is as expected, contrapuntal in the opening statements, but features a colorful use of trills
and flutter tonguing later in the movement .
The second work on the disc is Max
Rami’s (b . 1956) Challenging Etudes for
Brilliant Clarinetists which well lives up
to its name, as do the evocative titles of individual movements . “Busy, Busy, Busy”
is in perpetual motion for all three performers, while “Same Tune, Less Busy” weaves
a delicate embroidery around a simple,
chant-like melody in the first soprano part .
“Mechanism” is a factory of unrelenting
machine-like funk realized by each member of the trio playing bass clarinet . “Moon
and Stars,” is reflective while “Klezmer
Dysfunction” is virtuosic for all parts featuring trills, adventurous altissimo playing
and snippets of harmonic minor scales .
Another work for two clarinets is John
McCabe’s (b . 1939) Bagatelles, again featuring Combs and DeRoche . In eight short
movements, a number of stylistic influences are presented . The opening “Con
fuoco, ma non troppo allegro” is brief
with an intense furioso quality . The “Andante” features trills and dissonant lyrical
phrases with micro-tonal inflections . The
“Allegro giocoso” is a gigue in 6/8, while
the “Fugatissimo” introduces a short
theme quickly answered by the top clariThe Clarinet
net . The pensive “Adagio” features long
phrases and a climax of dissonant trills .
“Bossa Nova” is a dance of infectious syncopations . “Crescendo” creates virtuosic
showers of arpeggios seamlessly passed
off between Combs and DeRoche while
“Fantasy” is a movement in free form with
a slow opening evolving through a faster
section of trills toward a dissonant climax .
Combs offers one of his own compositions which demonstrates his considerable
skill as a composer . In the witty Diversions
for three clarinets, he intertwines rhapsodic atonal “Monologue” movements for
solo clarinet, with cleverly conceived tonal
movements borrowing from both North
and South American popular genres .
The first selection in the latter category
is the tongue-in-cheek “Pop Song .” The
introduction in the two soprano clarinets
leads one to think the Carpenters are about
to burst into “Close to You .” A romantically saccharine melody in the bass clarinet is introduced with the soprano clarinets adding an increasing number of frilly
flourishes . The movement is replete with a
witty vocal break and a pop fade out .
The “Be-bop” movement has an opening unison before breaking into a tunefully
swinging tribute to the 1940s . The trio
adroitly captures the style of the genre .
“Unisono,” again in a contemporary
vein, has the trio perform this free movement in unison thereby making evident
the group’s precise ensemble playing with
perfect intonation and blend . The final,
charming “Tango,” features virtuosic “fillins” in the bass clarinet and perhaps nods
its hat to those of Piazzolla .
Perhaps the most intriguing and mercurial work on the disc is Eddie Mora Bermudez’s (b . 1965) Retrato VI . The 11-minute, single-movement work features the
trio on soprano and bass clarinets joined
by piano, string bass and multiple percussion . The work fuses together a number of
genres while fully exploiting the unique
colors of this combination of instruments .
The multi-sectional work features spiky,
syncopated lines, moments of minimalistic harmonic stasis, a bluesy jazz clarinet
solo and a pulsating, exciting codetta .
The composers represented on this release import a variety of styles and genres
as well as create moments of virtuosity
and subtle wit . These challenges from
such a complex synthesis of elements
are fearlessly embraced and exquisitely
executed by the Chicago Clarinet Trio to
create a worthy addition to any chamber
music library .
Vanderbilt University
announces the appointment of
Bil Jackson
Associate Professor of Clarinet
Former principal clarinet of the
Colorado Symphony Orchestra
Artist faculty at the Aspen Music Festival
to the Blair School of Music
Striking a balance between intensive
music training and liberal arts study
blair.vanderbilt.edu
Blair School of Music at
2400 Blakemore Avenue
Nashville, Tennessee 37212
Student…
Adrianna Barron, clarinet, Junior Recital,
Sam Houston State University, April 16,
2011 . Two Pieces, D’Rivera; La fille aux
cheveux de lin, Debussy; Concertino, Op .
26, Weber; Hungarian Dance No. 6 (with
Jackie Hamberg, clarinet), Brahms/Balogh
Réshanda Billy, clarinet, M . M . Recital,
University of North Texas, April 15, 2011 .
Suite from the Victorian Kitchen Garden,
Reade; Hillandale Waltzes, Babin; Three
Miniatures, Penderecki; Trio in E-flat Major, K . 498, Mozart
Lindsay Braun, clarinet, D .M .A . Recital, Fantasia Sobre Goyescas, Guinovart; Cinco Bocetos, Sierra; Sonata for
Clarinet and Piano, Op . 23, Casadesus;
Divertimento No. 1 for two clarinets and
piano, Camilleri
David Cook, clarinet and bass clarinet, Senior Recital, Central Michigan
University, April 17, 2011 . Concerto
Lyrique, Gotkovsky; Fantasiestüke, Op .
73, Schumann; Grab It!, Veldhuis; Eternal Garden–Four Songs for Clarinet and
Piano, Maslanka
Briana Gomez, clarinet, Junior Recital,
Sam Houston State University, April 16,
2011 . Fantasy Pieces, Schumann; Caprice, Milhaud; The Generation of Hope,
Wasserman-Margolis; Pocket-Size Sonata
No. 2, Templeton
Justin Grunes, clarinet, B .M . Recital,
University of Delaware, April 17, 2011 .
Solo de concours, Messager; Sonata in
D Major, Bax; “Ein Traum” from Six
Songs, Op . 48, Grieg; Canzonetta, Op . 19,
Pierné; Three Preludes, Gershwin; Elegies, Schickele; Scaramouche, Milhaud .
Jackie Hamberg, clarinet, Junior Recital, Sam Houston State University, April
26, 2011 . Sonata, Op . 128, CastelnuovoTedesco; Double Concerto for Clarinet
and Trumpet, Jacob .
Rachel Hammon, clarinet, M .M . Recital, University of Nebraska–Lincoln,
February 27, 2011 . Solo de Concours,
Messager; Hommage a J.S. Bach, Kovács;
Concertino, Op . 48, Busoni; Albumleaf,
Reger; Time Pieces, Op . 43, Muczynski
Matthew Kaye, clarinet, Senior Recital, Sam Houston State University, April
17, 2011 . Sonata in F minor, Op . 120, No .
1, Brahms; Capriccio, Sutermeister; Cantilène, Cahuzac; Trio Minaturen, Op . 18,
No . 3, Juon
Sheng-Hsin Lin, clarinet, D .M .A . Recital, University of North Texas, April
29, 2011 . Sonata for Clarinet and Piano,
Guastavino; In Freundschaft für Klarinette, Stockhausen; Sonata de la soledad
para Clarinete, Viola y Piano, Aguilar
Joshua Mietz, clarinet, D .M .A . Lecture Recital, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, April 2, 2011 . Eternal Garden: Four
Songs for Clarinet and Piano, Maslanka
James Parkinson, clarinet, D .M .A .
Recital, University of North Texas, April
16, 2011 . Concerto for Clarinet, Tomasi;
Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, Alwyn;
Bapu for Flute, Clarinet and Electronics,
Srinivasan
Christopher Raddatz, clarinet, D .M .A .
Recital, University of North Texas, April
27, 2011 . Quartet in E-flat Major for
Piano, Clarinet, Violin and Cello, Op . 1,
Rabl; Three Miniatures, Penderecki; Bug,
Mantovani; E-Type Jag, David
Gerald Ringe, clarinet, D .M .A . Recital,
University of North Texas, April 22, 2011 .
Duo Sonata No. 1 in A Major, Hoffmeister; Three Songs of Innocence, Cooke;
Sonatina, Sancan; Sonata da Camera,
Harris; Fantaisie in E-flat-Major, Rossini
Yi-Wen Wang, clarinet, D .M .A . Recital, University of North Texas, April
15, 2011 . Sonatina, Martinů; Fantasie
Italienne, Op . 110, Delmas; Capriccio
for Unaccompanied Clarinet in A, Sutermeister; Clarinet Trio in A minor, Op . 114,
Brahms
Faculty and
Professional…
David Campbell, clarinet, with The Solstice String Quartet, Little Venice Music
Festival, St . Saviour’s Church, Warwick
Ave, London W9, October 14, 2011 .
Quintet in B-flat Major, Op . 34, von Weber; Quintet in B Minor, Op .115, Brahms
F . Gerard Errante, clarinet, College of
Southern Nevada, May 1, 2011 . Sonatina,
Arnold; American and South American
Songs I: La rosa y el sauce, Guastavino;
i carry your heart, Duke; El Sampedrino,
Milonga de dos hermanos, Guastavino;
American and South American Songs II:
Sure on this Shining Night, Barber; The
Apple Orchard, Laitman; Triste, Ginastera; Send in the Clowns, Sondheim; La
ultima noche en la casa del Flamenco,
Bunch
*****
To buy a new instrument or restore my old one?
That is the question...... !
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Denver, Colorado
102
The Clarinet
Programs intended for publication in
The Clarinet should be sent to James Gillespie, 405 Santiago Place, Denton, TX
76205, (E-mail: James .Gillespie@unt .
edu) . To ensure accurate program information, please send a printed program and
a summary of pertinent data (names of
performers and composers, site, date and
titles of works, etc .) in either an e-mail or
hard copy version in the format above . For
student recitals, only solo degree recital
programs (junior, senior, master’s and
doctoral) will be listed .
Crowning
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and compression-free reed channel from
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Learn more about the M|O ligature
advantage at www.vandoren.com/mo.
Demand performance.
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© 2010 Vandoren SAS. www.vandoren.com Imported to the U.S. by DANSR, 818 W. Evergreen, Chicago, IL 60642, 888.707.4455, www.dansr.com
DAN - 610-1= M/O Ligature-Crowning Achievemnt
expression upon your clarinet playing.
Prepared by Todd Allen Design, Inc.
and crisp articulation bestows enhanced
Connections
through the clarinet –
to our audiences
W
hy do we play? For our own
enjoyment, of course, but we
also play to bring enjoyment
to others . From the player’s perspective,
it can be quite rewarding to play alone .
However, this experience cannot be called
a performance . Practicing is worthwhile
and enjoyable, certainly, but is there anyone who only wants to play alone?
I think that most of us would agree that
a complete musical experience needs to
have one or more performers as well as
one or more listeners . I remember reading some time ago that a complete performance also needed a music critic, but we
will leave that idea aside for now!
A performance can take many forms
and be found in many places . It can be
a formal or informal setting . It can be
scheduled or impromptu . It can take place
in a fancy concert hall, with the performers attired in white tie and tails, or it can
take place on someone’s back porch in casual clothes .
We should recognize that to achieve a
true balance in the world, we need both
performers and audience members . It may
seem obvious, but performers need to play
for an audience . If there are too many people seeking to make a living as performers
with not enough audience support, there is
an unsustainable imbalance . On the other
hand, I would not want to live in a world
where all the music is recorded and no
performers make live music . I enjoy hearing live music in performance, when there
is an element of spontaneity and the music
sounds different each time .
Since performers and audience members need each other, performers should
try to cultivate and sustain listeners . I
think the practice of performers ignoring
the audience is outdated . Many recitalists
and conductors are connecting to listeners
and speaking to them as part of a performance, thereby enhancing the audience
experience . Music schools around the
world are giving new attention to the idea
of communicating with and developing
the audience, not just playing for them .
Music is an expressive art . Part of the
joy of performance is to offer that expression to other people . It is very rewarding
to make the connection with audience
members . Remember the last time you
104
John Cipolla, Buddy DeFranco,
Keith Koons and Maxine Ramey
saw the face of a thrilled audience member? In fact, the connection goes both
ways: the performer provides inspiration
to the audience and the audience provides
inspiration to the performer .
As I write this, I am eagerly anticipating being part of the audience at the 2011
ClarinetFest® in Northridge, California . I
am looking forward to hearing some of the
world’s greatest clarinet players perform,
either in a small recital setting or in the
19,000-seat Hollywood Bowl .
As the fall concert season begins, I
hope that you are able to enjoy connections between clarinet performers and listeners from both sides, and help to keep
live music alive .
In April, I .C .A . President-elect John
Cipolla and I were guests at the University of Montana Jazz Festival, where we
joined I .C .A . Secretary Maxine Ramey
to present the I .C .A . Honorary Member
award to renowned jazz clarinetist Buddy
DeFranco . Thanks go to Maxine and the
University of Montana School of Music
for their generous hospitality . Unfortunately, Buddy was unable to come to the
The Clarinet
2010 ClarinetFest® in Austin, TX to receive the award, so this was the next best
thing . The enthusiastic audience showed
their approval with a standing ovation . After the presentation, Buddy played a dazzling performance with combo – showing that he is still making a connection
through the clarinet to audiences at the
young age of 88!
The Clarinet
Publication
Schedule
The magazine is usually
mailed during the last week
of February, May, August and
November. Delivery time within North America is normally
10–14 days, while airmail delivery time outside of North
America is 7–10 days.
BWInD1213 Bil Jackson ad revised_Layout 1 5/31/11 9:20 am page 1
YCL-CSGII
Bil Jackson
Depends on
Yamaha.
“The ‘sublime ecstasy
of perfect recognition’
best describes my reaction
upon first playing the
new ‘G’ series clarinets.
Bravo Yamaha!”
-Bil Jackson,
Associate Professor of Clarinet
Blair School of Music
& Artist-Faculty
Aspen Music Festival
QuaLITY
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SupporT
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profeSSIonaLISm
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Va L u e

The Clarinet

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