Klarinet Archive - Posting 000375.txt from 2002/01
From: "Robert" <LetsReason@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Found A Clarinet MIDI Site!
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 13:34:44 -0500
***** For anyone looking for MIDI files of standard clarinet repertoire, I
have found (and some of you may already know of it) a site that has
literally THOUSAND of CLARINET pieces from complete collections of Contest
Solo books to Duets and those found only in sheet music.*****
I am NOT recommending MIDI files over true recordings of the pieces, but for
the moment, for all of you, this site is free since I've paid the fee. I
happen to LOVE MIDI and recommend their usage as a means to keep kids
excited about playing the clarinet while giving them a means of playing with
accompaniments and learning to play in tune (listening).
For those who do not know, MIDI are very, VERY small files that are
basically just commands that tell your sound card how to play the music
using the instruments already programed into its "soundbank". Almost every
soundcard out there has the capability to play MIDI files. The files are
not the actual recorded sounds but rather programming that directs your
soundcard to play the sounds itself. Different soundcards will have
different "orchestral colors" depending on the soundbank loaded into it.
Very effective and they are getting better with sounding like real
instruments (You can, for many soundcards, download and replace the
soundbank with a newer, larger, more accurate sounding sampling of sounds so
clarinets sound more like clarinets and pianos sound more like the concert
grand you heard at the symphony.)
You can jump over to a number of sites like http://www.hitsquad.com and
download a midi program (for free) like Cakewalk Express that will allow you
to mute parts, speed up parts, play sections, print out the music, etc. As
with anything, if you want to, you can get really in-depth with it and by
full programs that let you do wonderful things with them in creating them.
Even the free ones allow you to do some rather creative things.
In any case, I really recommend that everyone who even THINKS they may be
interested in getting these midi files head over there and download them as
soon as possible. My fee will only last for about a month or so (I paid
last night). They are ZIPPED with WinZip (though I don't know why except
for packaging since midi files are very small in the first place) and you
will need to be able to unzip them. WinZip is free at
http://www.winzip.com.
Here are some names of pieces you can download from there (and there are
literally THOUSANDS of others):
Montbrun Concertstuck, Mozart, Francaix, Finzi, Nielsen, blah, blah, blah
concerti, Cahuzac various pieces, Hindemith concerto and sonata, etc. I was
a little disappointed that the Piston concerto was not there, but hey...I'm
happy.
Many duet books and other duet pieces like Mendelssohn Concertstuck (1&2),
Krommer Concerto, etc.
There are even 4 printed pages of Woodwind Quintets where you can just plop
the midi into some program like Cakewalk Express, mute the clarinet part and
there you are playing the Ibert "Trois Pieces Breves" or the Hindemith
"Kleine Musik" with your own electronic ensemble.
Entire book collections of solos and duets are available for download too.
All with piano accompaniment or more. If you like to just have fun, there
is a Polka and Waltz area too! LOL! There is an area where the clarinet
part comes with the midi and is put into PDF (Adobe Acrobat) format. Adobe
Acrobat Viewer is free at the Adobe site: http://www.adobe.com.
Anyway...the site is (yes...I'm going to tell you!):
http://www.musicbysunset.com/subscribers%20index.html
The guy actually asks you to spread the paid area link around. So I am.
;-)
Robert
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