Klarinet Archive - Posting 000755.txt from 2004/10
From: "Laurence E. Young" <klarinette@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Etudes based on symphonic literature?
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2004 14:37:58 -0400
I can remember working on Frederic Thurston's Passage Studies back in
college. All the studies are based on passages from various 'classical'
works including some based on actual orchestral clarinet parts (I
distinctly remember Mahler's 4th symphony and Kodaly's Peacock
Variations for instance). The version I have is in several volumes
arranged by difficulty and was published by Boosey and Hawkes.
As for books of parts I know that Hal Leonard put out a complete set of
1st clarinet parts to the symphonies of Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and
others. Jeanne Music in Minnesota puts out books of parts to Beethoven
and Mendelssohn. I personally collect photocopies of every, single reed
(so third, bass, eb, alto clarinet, saxophone and so on), part to every
work that I ever play and that has been a great method of obtaining
things that are unavailable (like Bartok's Miraculous Mandarin).
Otherwise call Kalmus, order parts and start practicing.
Finally, and I'm sure this will be a contentious issue, but I would be
wary of excerpt books. The only one that I would personally recommend is
Peter Hadcock's Working Clarinetist, which is extremely good. In fact I
think you should probably obtain a copy of that first (even before
Thurston's Passage Studies). The problem with the others is they are
notoriously riddled with errors. By the way, has anyone out there
thought of calling International and trying to get them to correct the
most egregious problems? I mean it's like reading Dickens and finding,
"It was the best of times. It was the blurst of times."
If I may make one final recommendation from the heart: find a good
teacher, work on more than just symphonic repertoire (there is other
music besides excerpts strangely enough), stop by your local university
library and check out as many different versions of scores and parts as
you can carry and above all listen! My teacher tells a story of a
student who when told to prepare the 1st clarinet part to Beethoven's
6th symphony asked how the teacher would like to hear it. The student
had made a study of many different performances (both live and recorded)
and was trying to determine how the teacher would like to hear it: the
Chicago way, the New York way, or the Orchestra of the Age of
Enlightenment way. Needless to say the teacher had not listened to this
many versions and was at a loss for a response. From then on however, he
said he has made a habit of collecting many different types of
performances and trying to explain how each player interprets the music
differently. In fact he now requires his students to listen to at least
5 different versions of an excerpt and explain the differences before he
will allow you to play it! It's an intense but ear opening exercise to
be sure.
My point is to listen! Best of luck.
Regards,
Laurence E. Young
-----Original Message-----
From: Vann Joe Turner [mailto:medpen@-----.net]
Sent: Monday, October 25, 2004 10:05 AM
To: klarinet@-----.org
Subject: [kl] Etudes based on symphonic literature?
Hi all,
I've recently picked the horns back up after many years away from them,
and
just recently joined this list. At one time, I was VERY good, and intend
to
get my skills back.
Two question: Are there any etudes based on the symphonic literature? Do
any
of the publishers publish books of the clarinet parts of the symphonic
literature?
Vann Joe Turner
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