Klarinet Archive - Posting 000273.txt from 2000/09

From: "Patricia Smith" <pattiesmith@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Great Recital, David
Date: Fri, 8 Sep 2000 11:41:52 -0400

I, too, enjoyed your recital, David. Especially enjoyable was the
performance of "Three for Two", a new composition by composer Allan Blank
and "As it Fell Upon a Day" for clarinet, flute and soprano by Copland. the
movements of "Three for Two" are entitled "A Giddy Twosome", "The Solitude
of Self" and "Projecting the Self". The composition is a psychological -
musical relationship between clarinetist and pianist, and clearly reflected
the twenty year collaboration between clarinetist and composer .
The Sonata for clarinet and piano (transcribed from the violin and piano
sonata, 1943), was, for lack of better words, amazing to me. Musically, I
think I like the key it is in for violin better (David, correct me if I am
wrong, Copland transposed it down a fourth in order to put certain
expressive sections in the chalumeau?), but that is not to denigrate its
performance on clarinet at all. Quite to the contrary. It combines the
musical plainness of Copland's writing during that period with writing for
the clarinet which is challenging even for a master of the instrument, as
David is.
Three octave leaps, with precision and grace....the thing of dreams for the
great majority of us.

On another thread, Kevin Fay writes:
"So much of the music of the twentieth century was crap. Good thing, too.
This comes from a clarinetist (that would be me) who volunteers to play in a
community orchestra pretty much dedicated to playing new music. Most of it
is bad. Some of it is shockingly bad..."

Kevin, it is a shame you are on the other coast. We were treated to some of
the best of the 20th century that night. Dr. Blank's composition, though
certainly challenging for the musical intellect, was also highly listenable
and, for this listener, found an emotional place not often visited by new
music these days. If any readers of the list are not familiar with his
music, do check it out; you are in for a treat.

David, I hope you recorded the performance...I want a CD.

BTW, Dr. Blank also wrote a clarinet duo a number of years back. It was
very playable and, although I owned it at one time, I have been unable to
find it (lost in a move, perhaps...) and cannot recall the name of the
composition.

Cheers,
Patty Smith

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org