Klarinet Archive - Posting 000638.txt from 1996/05

From: Tom Labadorf <Labadorf@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: from a klarinet member
Date: Wed, 29 May 1996 01:23:42 -0400

On writing for unaccompanied clarinet, Drew Niemeyer wrote

" Here's an example: Some people prefer to write for flute because it has
such a great range of tonal colours. I don't think I've heard a
clarinettist play with that much diversity. I don't think we can. One
flautist told me he didn't like the clarinet just for this reason. So, I
guess that's a bad point."

Not so! Shulamit Ran _For an Actor: Monologue for Clarinet_ employs
multiphonics, flutter tongue, altissimo register, etc. This gives the
clarinet a very wide tonal range. It is a fantastic piece and well worth
your study. Stravinsky _Three Pieces_, can you imagine the third piece
performed on flute? And how about the tonal contrasts in the second piece
between the outer and middle sections.

"But some people still think the clarinet is the most expressive instrument
in the orchestra -- dynamic ranges greater than stringed instruments,
widest range of articulation, etc.."

The pieces that strikes me best in this way is Miklos Rosza's unaccompanied
(can't think of the title). One of the movements is a theme and variation
with each variation showing off some unique characteristic of the clarinet.
Messiaen "Abyss of the Birds" from _Quartet for the End of Time_ takes
advantage of the dynamic range. Martino _Set for Clarinet_ makes use of the
large note range and flexible technique.

Of the unaccompanied clarinet works that I know, the ones that work the best
are written by composers who know the instrument very well. The composer of
the aforementioned works found some unique characteristic(s) of the clarinet
and developed them in cohesive ways. I suggest you look through some
successful works like these (as I'm sure you have) and see what the composers
did to make their work interesting. Then you will find their solutions for
what they thought were problems writing for clarinet alone.

Hope this helps.

Tom L.
Clarinetist, U.S. Coast Guard Band
Labadorf@-----.com

   
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