Klarinet Archive - Posting 000325.txt from 2000/02

From: "Rien Stein" <rstein@-----.nl>
Subj: [kl] Request for listing of difficult music again
Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2000 02:38:22 -0500

At Thu, 3 Feb 2000 13:19:44 EST MaryWBalch wrote

>>
Rien,

My computer has dicided to lose some previously saved mail. So, I am asking
for your help again. What were the suggestions that had for any pieces of
difficult clarinet music that isn't atonal? Also, do you have any
suggestions for any websites that would deal with difficult woodwind music
in
general? I recently got my master's degree in woodwind performance at The
University of Georgia. Clarinet was my primary along with saxophone and
flute being secondary. Thanks again!

Mary W. Balch
Woodwinds Instructor

P. S. This time, my printer is going to see some action. Also, on a
different note, I tried to send this message directly to you but it came
back to me and said that Widexs does not relay send mail via your local
provider. What does this mean? Is this like a long distance phone call?

<<

Dear Mary

To begin with the second part of your question, the PS, I really don't know,
what this means. It has occurred several times to me, that I got a mailing
back from my provider, removed the deamon's additions, and resent the
message, that subsequently proved to have duly arrived. I am not a computer
expert, so I don't understand what might have been going on.

I have looked up the "old" messages. The first one was dated 25-01-00, 0:10.
Here it follows:

<<
Dear Mary

Do you know the "Ten Easy Sketches for clarinet and piano" by Theo Loevendie
(Donemus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)? Despite the title they are NOT easy,
and though written in 1970, they are not atonal although modern effects like
clusters, multiphonics and so on do appear.

If that one is too easy to you, did you ever get acquainted with the
Concerto for clarinet and orchestra by the Russian composer E. Khagagortyan,
published 1971 in Moscow? I bought it during a vacation in Moscow in 1972,
but never heard it played. It is edited solo part with complete score and
pianoreduction, and at that time cost only 1R35, but of course now that
price will be different. You should be able to play as high as C''''.

Wish you good luck with it.

Your

Rien (note the correct spelling).

>>

The second one was dated 26-01-2000, 21:50. Here it comes:

>>
Hi Mary

I have been looking a bit more through my library of sheet music for music
you might be willing to try. It is not always difficult, but probably you
(or anyone else from your auditory) won't know it, and it is worthwile
anyhow to be played and to be listened
at.

Of course I need not tell you the greatest quartet of this century is the
"Quator pour la fin des temps", the "Quartett for the end of times" by
Olivier Messiaen, for clarinet, piano, violin and cello. The part I also
sometimes try to play is "Abime des oiseaux", for clarinet solo. On clarinet
I find it very hard (but I am just an average amateur, I think), playing it
on bass clarinet seems a bit easier.

Not too difficult is "Run" by Gerard Beljon. It is a lightfooted piece of
music, but very worth wile. The "world premiere" was played by me and
my son in a very local contest. I had my opinions about how I should play
it, but I couldn't play it that way at that time, as I was too nervous.
Gerard, who was present at the contest, was a bit angry with me, till we
discussed several topics in the piece. It really is lovely. The difficulty
to me mainly was the high tempo in which it should be played, to you, a
professional, as I
understand, that should be no problem. The audience also will enjoy
it very much. It is published privately, I can give you the adress.

Another somewhat lightfooted work, but much harder, is the "Sonate con
bravura" by Jan Haderman, published by De Haske, Heerenveen, the
Netherlands.

One work I particularly like is the "Rhapsody on Dutch Folk songs", composed
by the in origine Hungarian piano player and composer Geza Frid, who died
tragically at the age of 75 a few years ago, mentally almost completely
darkened. Of the almost thirty years I play the clarinet now, I think at
least in twenty of them there has been a period from one till three months I
had it on my stand and studied it, sometimes intensely, sometimes somewhat
sloppier, but always enjoyed it, only gradually coming to the aim that I
hope to reach this year: to play it more or less the way I like to play it.
It's fun, it's merry, it's deep, it's great. You should easily be able to
obtain it, it has been published by Southern Music Publishing Inc, New York.

A peculiar work that I never managed, and probably never will manage, is
Sources III for clarinet and percussion by David Burges. In the windband I
play in in Maartensdijk (where I live), we had a conductor, who played it as
part of her final exam in conservatory. The clarinettist has later been my
teacher, but when she got pregnant, she stopped teaching and playing almost
completely to be "just a housewife". Nowadays she only plays together with
her husband, a pro flutist.

I also found three works for clarinet solo, all of them published by
Donemus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The first one, "Monologue III for
clarinet solo" by Karel Brons, 1968, is not too hard. At least, I studied it
several years ago, and gradually managed technically and, I think with
respect to its intention, to play it. The sonata for clarinet solo by Escher
I did not even try to study: it looks nice to me, but unplayable for an
amateur, even though it is a good one, an opinion shared by Uldis Locenieks,
a
friend of mine who is pinciple clarinettist in the orchestra of Liepaja
(Latvia). The third work is a Capriccio by Oscar van Hemel. This has been
published in a facsimile from the manuscript. Van Hemel's hand writing
however is not very clear. When I bought it I did so because I heard it in
the radio, and enjoyed it.

Well, this was a long piece of writing. I hope I have been of some service
to you in the short or long run. If you'd ask me to list my preferences, I'd
say in this order: Messiaen, Frid, Beljon, Haderman. If I can be of any use
to you, please let me know.

If my English is somewhat awkward to you, please excuse me.

Friendly greetings

Rien

>>

I don't know, of course, why you might want these works, but if it is mainly
to amuse a number of people, I think the best choice to be made is the
"Rhapsody" by Geza Frid, and "Run" by Gerard Beljon. Not the most difficult
works, but quite "understandable" to the public. Also the "Ten easy
sketches" by Loevendie will be both a joy to play and to be listened at.

I do not send you this by private mail this time, as I think more people,
both amateurs and pro's, should become acquainted with these works.
Nonetheless, I hope, once again, to have been of some help to you. I
couldn't answer you any faster, as my computer had a breakdown, but I hope o
as yet be in time for you.

Kind greetings, and wish you a lot of success

Rien.

PS. Did you watch the world championships on ice skating? The winner in a
way was very surprising! And after so many years we saw Eric Heiden, who won
five gold medals in the Olympics of, I think 1980, on the same skating rink,
at that time it was still called West Allis.
Good sport, but not really loved by USA people, I think. I used to be a
fanatic on ice skating, till I got problems with my left foot.

Rien

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