Klarinet Archive - Posting 000171.txt from 1996/09

From: Alan Stanek <STANALAN@-----.EDU>
Subj: Monolog 3 information
Date: Sat, 14 Sep 1996 19:54:03 -0400

On 9/14 Sean Talbot wrote inquiring about Erland von Koch's Monolog 3 for
unaccompanied clarinet. The first time I heard this work was a performance by
Karl Leister at the 1978 International Clarinet Congress in Toronto, Canada. I
believe there was a post on klarinet about unaccompanied clarinet works about 8
months ago and this piece was again mentioned. This work was recorded recently
(world premier recording) by Jonathan Cohler on his new CD, THE CLARINET ALONE
(Ongaku 024-105). The accompanying "disc jacket" notes contains more information
about von Koch and one of his most popular monologues.

In the Winter, 1980 issue of THE CLARINET, John Mohler reviewed this work.
Having
just performed Monolog 3 at the 1996 International ClarinetFest in Paris, I
would
agree with Mohler's review which reads as follows:

"A contemporary Swedish composer, von Koch has written eighteen monologues
for solo instruments and voice, each with two movements, an opening cantabile
and
a faster finale. In No. 3 for clarinet, the Andante sostenuto is built on an
ascending motive which climaxes prior to a short, quiet conclusion. The Allegro
vivace presents an opportunity for some flashy performance which at the same
time
is not too demanding technically. A bit lengthy relative to musical material,
however.

Monologue 3 (Monolog 3) has interesting possibilities but by no stretch of
the imagination is contemporary. Its style is late romantic chromaticism. The
edition is beautifully printed."

My read on this piece is that while relative short (duration 3" + 3") it gives
the performer an opportunity to shape the phrases beautifully with subtle
dynamic
shadings. Formally, the work is well constructed. First movement A-B-A. Second
movement a rondo-like form with the opening material of the Andante sostenuto
returning near the end of the finale, just before a burst of concluding notes to
altissimo G finishing on a reiteration of the thematic essence of the work - low
G G E G at a fortississimo dynamic level. For an effective performance, control
is the watchword!

The second movement contains a beautiful cantabile melody which lends itself to
a
variation in tone color in its repetition - as if there were a conversation
between two people or a portrayal of two different characters in a play. The
chromaticism is abundant, a fine melodic example for those who can't quite get a
handle on the phrase "late romantic chromaticism". Sequences, inversions,
motivic
development abound in this work which can be, for a young college student, a
melding of what they are learning in a theory or harmony class and the
performance studio. I recommend it highly and will be performing it again next
weekend at the Idaho/Montana Clarinet Festival at Boise State University,
Ritchard Maynard, host.

For other interested clarinetists, this work is published by AB Carl Gehrmans
Musikforlag, Stockholm. It was easily obtained in the US from Luyben Music in
Kansas City. MO.

Good luck Sean!