Klarinet Archive - Posting 000577.txt from 1997/06

From: Fred Jacobowitz <fredj@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: orchestral excerpts
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 22:17:45 -0400

Noelle,
There are quite a few and all have some good things and some
drawbacks. In general, I prefer the International series for two reasons:
They are very well printed with sturdy paper and they are unedited - NO
Markings other than those in the part. Unfortunately, they often lack
measure numbers or rehearsal letters/numbers and there are quite a few
misprints. Also, some glaringly obvious parts are left out such as the
entire beginning to the Polovtsian Dances and lots of the Midsummer
Night's Dream scherzo.
I am quite disappointed with Bonade's book because, for all that
it has lots of great music and good choice of sections, it is highly
edited. Bonade's markings, while usually musically valid, are NOT standard
and could easily knock you out of an audition when you are the only one
playing it NOT as written.
There is at least one French one (I forget the author - help me
out, Klarinetters) which is not bad at all but those French editions tend
to be 1) expensive here in the US and 2) Difficult to come by (even tho
Presser distributes them).
If you really want to have the best exerpts, you must be willing
to shell out the bucks to Kalmus or Lucks and to get the actual part
itself. Then listen to the recordings to find the hard spots/exposed
passages. Hope this has helped.

Fred Jacobowitz
Clarinet/Sax Instructor, Peabody Preparatory

On Wed, 25 Jun 1997 Ariadne49@-----.com wrote:

> I was wondering what you all feel is the best book of orchestral excerpts
> (name, author, edition, publisher please if you have it). I would really
> appreciate suggestions as I am looking to audition for graduate school in 2
> years and would like to begin work on excerpts... Also, iI am looking into
> audtioning for the major music conservatories and would like to know which
> excerpts are asked for the most at these auditions... Thank you...
> Noelle
>