 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Kat
Date: 2001-05-14 23:59
I'm an eight grader in East Aurora and love playing the clarinet. I am finishing up Stravinski Three Pieces (kinda easy). My teacher picks out really boring books and solos for me. I was wondering if any of you knew any challenging technical books and solos that are fun to do.So you know what level I'm at, New york State Solo competiton is grades 1-6 with 6 being the hardest. I find most of the grade sixes easy, I love a challenge.
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Author: Micaela
Date: 2001-05-15 00:39
That isn't east Aurora near where Wells is? I live fairly near Ithaca and I have a friend who lives in Aurora. Did you do your All-Sate audition recently? I'm doing mine on Friday.
You could look in the 16 Grand Solos book published by Southern Music. There's lots of showy stuff there. If you haven't done the Rose studies, try those. And it's not my cup of tea, but a friend of mine gets a real kick out of the Kroepsch (spelling?) studies and they're certainly technically knotty. And the Cavallini caprices. There's the Rossini Intro Theme and Variations. If you're looking for longer pieces, try the Spohr concerti, the Copland concerto or if you really want a challenge, the Nielsen or Francaix concerti. Those will humble just about anyone.
And I disagree with all the level six pieces being easy. The Nielsen's there. And furthermore, you might be able to play all the notes but there's always more to interpret. Most of the master works for clarinet are on that list. I don't think I'll ever find all of those easy to play REALLY well. Even things like the Mozart that look technically straightforward often have a lot more in them than you see at first. Whipping off dozens of notes a second isn't the same as playing music.
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Author: Kat
Date: 2001-05-15 01:14
Wow someone actually replied. Thanks Micaela!! yeah It is the Aurora near Wells at leat I'm pretty sure. Who's your friend? I'm doing my All-State auditon in June because our band was in Baltimore last Friday ( which was when my competiton was). I never tried Nielsen's concerto because I heard it was for an A clarinet, but I have Mozart's concerto and Rossini's Intro Theme and Variations under my belt.
(with the interpretation)
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2001-05-15 02:34
It is very good thing to challenge more difficult things always. Best teachers even say "Do not continue to do things you already can. It is useless for your improvement and sometimes it is a mere self-satisfaction."(ex. Flutist Trevor Wye and Trumpetist Herbert L. Clark.)
As to more challenging books and solos, I would suggest to open J&D Hite(a sponcer of this site). He and his wife list up each level solos and publishes French, German, and Italian schools etudes(really good books). He even checked all notes refering to original editions.
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Author: Ken
Date: 2001-05-15 03:59
Rudolph Jettel's "The Accomplished Clarinetist" Volumes 1 & 2 plus his 10 Etudes are skillfully challenging/demanding books, more difficult (in my opinion) than the 2 Uhls. I'd also suggest looking into a few standard "Vocal" method books like the Pasquale Bona to improve lyrical playing.
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Author: susannah
Date: 2001-05-15 09:21
by the way.. I really don;t think anyone could call the stravinsky pieces 'easy'. Sure, you're probably able to play all the notes, but I'd bet you had to practise it, and make sure you don't get too sure of yourself; theres a lot more to music than notes!!
P.S., sorry if that sounded kinda harsh
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Author: jerry
Date: 2001-05-15 11:53
"I'm an eight grader...................I find most of the grade sixes easy, I love a challenge."
You guys kill me - you're just terrible. All this "easy" and "challenging" stuff! I hate it when you talk this way. NO, JUST KIDDING.
I think it's great that such young people do so well. Here I am - cannot get through the only two scales I know without a mistake. Ouch!
Oh well, practice, practice, practice.
Keep up the good work, guys (and gals).
~ jerry
Still in Clarinet Boot Camp
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Author: dylan
Date: 2001-05-15 21:00
it's ironic isn't it? that mozart concerto is still stuck there on level 6 even though some of you might consider it easy. Yes, the Neilson has a few more notes, but I consider the mozart one of the most difficult piece in the repetoire to play excellently. If you want some challenging piece, try the massager (spelling), and all the other Frech show-off pieces. P.S. while i'm talking about NYSSMA, does anyone know why they took the brahms f minor sonata off the list? I think that's one of the best pieces even written for clarinet and I was gonna play it this year. -Dylan
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Author: eilidh
Date: 2001-05-15 21:35
I once made the mistake of referring to a piece as "easy " to my clarinet teacher because the notes appeared straightforward. He then spent the whole lesson demonstrating that it was not simple and described hearing Jack Brymer playing the same piece excellently and musically - I have not made the mistake of describing anything as easy again!
I played the Stravinsky third piece for an exam which i passed and passed well but now my teacher is emphasising the performance aspect and, as Micaela says, its not just about rattling off as many notes as possible - there are many students in music schools who can do that but it takes a bit more to make a really special and unique performance and I wish I was able to do that!
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Author: Kim
Date: 2001-05-15 21:57
I am a college junior music major. Yesterday, I decided to take out Mozart's Clarinet Concerto. Sound easy? Try again. When you take into account the articulation, the dynamics, on top of playing with the best tone quality possible, you have an extremely difficult piece!
Another thing: you think grade 3's and 4's are easy. Notes are easy, playing musically is not.
Never ever call anything easy. When I was in high school as many of you are, I considered the Mozart Concerto to be easy too. But, now that I've learned to play musically, I've learned there is more to music than just notes. ;-)
As for solos, I recommend anything by Weber, Brahms, or the Willson Osborne Rhapsody.
Have fun and good luck,
Kim
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Author: Micaela
Date: 2001-05-15 23:50
I agree, Dylan. I can play most of the notes in the Mozart, but I don't feel that I should perform it yet because I don't have much of an interpretation. About the Brahms- I heard it was because many people played them very badly- no musical consideration whatsoever. I've ALSO worked a little on the Sonata in f minor- which I was ALSO planning on doing for NYSSMA this year. I think its a little similar to Mozart in that it's a great deal harder than it appears. I'm doing the Finzi for All State and I worry that I won't make it because it's not a showy piece.
I learned the Stravinsky last summer and it really challenged me. I'd never really played anything like it before, stylistically. I learned a great deal about modern music by learning it.
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Author: Kat
Date: 2001-05-16 01:06
SORRY I'll never call anything easy again. Thanks for telling me about it's more than just notes on a page. I was thinking about it and really no piece is easy because it can always be better. I guess what I'm trying to say is changing one dynamic or note just the tiniest bit can make the piece better, and no one can play a piece perfectly.(not even me) Also if anyone has any really good hints or tricks on Stravinski's 3pieces let me know.
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Author: Jun
Date: 2001-05-16 15:14
i now studying stravinsky's 3 pieces....especially the 3rd movement...not easy...to do wat my teacher asked from me....all those tiny winnie notes must be clear...articulation should be crystal clear and sweet and short....must let the audiene feel as though you are having fun not just playing the notes.....somehow a very light piece but very difficult one if doing all the details.......
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Author: elise
Date: 2001-05-16 19:26
Just as a note on the Mozart Concerto--for a while (back in the day, right?) the first movement was a lower NYSSMA level than the second two. We might think it strange now, but I think it makes good sense. The second movement is one of those landmarks for players and one of the best tests of control that there is.
Another note--the Brahms Sonatas (previously "easy" level 6s) were removed from the manual for this year. I was personally frustrated by that. What was the issue there? Technically, they aren't extremely demanding, but musically they're extremely difficult to master. Seventh graders would walk into NYSSMA festivals playing them because they were so "easy" and they did horribly. Interpretation is the key, especially for them. The only disappointment is that I really would have liked to play one perhaps for a year-before-all-state audition or perhaps even an all-state audition. It's too bad for the older students, but I think it really does make sense. (No sour grapes, right?)
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Author: Micaela
Date: 2001-05-17 00:34
Kat- check out this page on sneezy about the Stravinsky. I asked the question last summer. http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/Friedland/Repertoire003.html There are notes on the Brahms sonatas, too. I totally agree about the one note thing- sometimes it makes a really big difference. And sometimes what you think is an interpretive problem is actually a technical one.
I think I will learn some Brahms this summer, after NYSSMA spoiled my solo plans (and, it seems, many others').
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Author: dylan
Date: 2001-05-17 21:23
That's interesting about the Brahms being played badly and removed. I think that one of the biggest problems with the Brahms is that there is so much room for interpretation. I've listened to dozens of recordings, and I think my interpretation is closest to the Stoltzman-Goode recording. Although many have criticized STolzman for recently "selling out" and playing some popular music, I think his recordings of the standard repetoire (Weber, Rossini, Mozart, Brahms) are some of the best ever made. The only clarinetist who I prefer for this standard repetoire are Stanley Drucker (I'm sorry, I'm a little biased, his wife is my teacher) and the great British clarinetist Reginald Kell, who I consider to be the best clarinetist I've ever heard. Anyway, I've played that Brahms for my teacher, and at several master classes, and let me tell you, it can be very frustrating having one great clarinetist tell you one thing, and then another great clarinetist contradict that the next time. I've decided to throw out just about everything everyone has told me about playing the Brahms and stuck to my own gut felling. I hope it will work out OK (We've really gotten off the "books and solos" topic haven't we?)
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Author: Sara
Date: 2001-05-19 03:46
Stravinsky 3 pieces is not easy. End of the second piece??? Easy? Anyway, there is a challange Concerto for Clarinet by Henri Tomasi out there if you want something to work on. You can never really stop working on the Mozart Concerto. It is extremely difficult to pull off. You could also attempt Jean Jean Etudes, or Baermann III, or scales in major 6th's. Yes, the Neilson Concerto is for A clarinet. Also, the first 2 pieces of Stravinsky 3 pieces are on A clarinet... and so is the Mozart Clarinet Concerto. My advice would be to talk with your teacher and tell him/her that you are bored with your lessons. It is important that you and your teacher have a good relationship. If you're really that bored, you might also consider finding a teacher that you could get more out of. Good luck and keep playing. It sounds like you're really having fun.
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