Klarinet Archive - Posting 000457.txt from 1996/12

From: Nathaniel F Johnson <clarinat@-----.com>
Subj: Re: Introduction / New music for clarinet
Date: Mon, 16 Dec 1996 20:58:17 -0500

On Sat, 14 Dec 1996 23:15:06 +0600 Frank Garcia
<fgarcia@-----.EDU> writes:

>
>As a musician who is always trying to find new (meaning unfamiliar as
>opposed to "contemporary") music to perform, I am sure there are those
>who
>would be interested in the recommendations of lesser known works. I
>know I
>haven't heard every clarinet piece ever written. Perhaps those
>interested
>could share the names of a few pieces that (in his or her estimation)
>are
>not very well known but deserving attention.
>
>I'll start 'er off.
>Ben-Haim, Paul, Pastorale Variee, (publisher used to be MCA/Dorn
>catalog
>has it listed). My first clarinet teacher played this piece on his
>senior
>recital and I fell in love with it.
>
>Raphael, Gunther, Sonatine, Breitkopf & Hartel. An enjoyable piece for
>the
>clarinet. The piano has a lot of sustained, rhythmic passages which
>could
>get a little tedious for some pianists.
>

Earlier this year I premeired a piece by Michael Swank called "Four
Bagatelles for Clarinet and Piano." They are absolutely marvelous and
were a smash hit at their first performance. The pieces were so
enjoyable for me that I am considering performing them on my Master's
recital. They are not terribly difficult technically and are very
rewarding musically. One of them even involves flutter-tonguing (fun!).
Also, all of them are tonal (if memory serves). Michael attends
Metropolitan State College of Denver and is majoring in composition. The
other work of his that I've heard, a choral setting of the poem "Break,
break, break" (here memory does not serve--I can't remember who's poem
that is), was equally well-received. The Four Bagatelles are
unpublished, but I'm sure that Michael would be more than willing to let
them out so that they can be played. He can be reached through the Music
Department at Metro State (303) 556-3180.