Klarinet Archive - Posting 000158.txt from 1995/02

From: Josias Associates <josassoc@-----.COM>
Subj: Eb Clarinet Solo Literature from Presser and Marks
Date: Wed, 8 Feb 1995 03:35:07 -0500

On Tue, 7 Feb 1995, Daniel Dorff (Daniel Dorff) wrote:

> C.Zello wrote re John Yeh's recital:
> > there are relatively few (none at all?) pieces for solo
> e-flat clarinet and piano which have any type of
> >substance/duration at all.
> ***
> Presser publishes several recital pieces for Eb Clar and Piano.
> Following the protocol the group seems comfortable with, anyone curious
> please e-mail us a feeler and we'll send you details!
> >
>
> Daniel Dorff
> Director of Publications

For anyone interested, in a 1987 recital at Caltech, I performed a
trio obtained from Presser entitled, "Afternoon Cakewalk Ballet
Suite" for violin, clarinets (A and Eb), and piano by William Bolcom.
The Suite is composed of six rags by American composers, two of which use
Eb clarinet, and one of those uses only Eb clarinet and piano. The pieces
are more fun than a barrel of monkeys, and I highly recommend them.

In 1984, after his ballet suite was scored, Bolcom completed a piece
on a commission from me in memory of my father. I had corresponded with
the composer since 1975 after the death of my father, and in 1984, he
said that, since he wrote for Eb clarinet so much in his orchestral
works, he would like to compose a piece for solo Eb clarinet and piano.
When he asked if I had any objections to his choice of instruments, I
said that, I not only had no objections, I was delighted.

He finished "Little Suite of Four Dances for Eb Clarinet and Piano" in
December 1984, and I premiered it at a recital at Caltech in June 1985.
The piece is seven minutes long and is distributed by Marks Music. This
is another solo piece that afficionados of the little clarinet should
enjoy playing.

Connie

Conrad Josias
La Canada, California