 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: rbell96
Date: 2003-09-12 16:00
Hi,
I have the score of Beethoven 6 in front of me. What solos would you recommend I play? Bar numbers would be a great help. Its for an audition at music college. THey just said prepare a few excerpts and I though beethoven 6 would be good.
So if you could let me know which ones to prepare it would be a great help!
Thanks in advance,
Rob
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-09-12 16:57
Learning the Sixth Symphony of Beethoven is a requirement if one is to play principal clarinet anywhere. The fact that it appears time and again on orchestra auditions points to its importance and difficulty.
Before you learn the most requested clarinet passages, listen to the entire symphony with the score and see how the clarinet fits into each movement. Know not only your part, but the other wind and string parts around you. The excerpt by itself is only one half of the equation.
The clarinet plays an important role in the Sixth Symphony. The passage most requested in auditions is the clarinet solo which begins in mm 468 of the first movement.
In the second movement the clarinet passage at mm 68 should be played full and with great expression.
There are other exposed passages for the clarinet in the Scherzo as well as the last movement.
Listen to the entire recording, know the score, and have a conception of how you fit into scheme of each movement...GBK
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-09-12 17:02
B 6 is one of my favorites, but have never played it, dern. I'd suggest listening to a recording of it, following along with the score and noting-down what you like and feel competent to perform. You more-symphonic types PLEASE help!! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2003-09-12 17:24
Sean Osborn offers some good advice on both the 4th and the 6th.
http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Choir/4401/guide.html
The 6th is my favorite. I've never played it except along with my recordings. I wanna play it in a real symphony before I go.y
________________
Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste this talent, but must develop it.
- Pope John Paul II
Post Edited (2003-09-12 17:24)
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-09-14 16:25
I have done Beethoven 6 a number of times and can say just a couple of things that will lead to a bit more insight in how you should practice and perform this one.
Play all of movement one, and be expectied to play the arpeggios in the solo toward the end of this part. It is especially difficult to do the d b d clarion altiissimo transitions unless your embouchure is especially supple. this means working on fine and delicate staccatto whilst projecting over a large group! Pay special attention to the tuning and voicing of sound with bassoons and listen for a dark focused warm sound on the open g and throat a....
second movement
this is one long cantilena or solo for the clarinet in the opening of the development section. Expect to work on tuning and blend with the flutes. The solo is important and has to be played as written with no veering away from the dynamics. This one can lose an audition easily.
Listen to the Szell and Karajan records and make sure you play the grace notes almost imperceptibly before the beat. The high articulated d figure needs and requires a good deal of support, and the apreggios should melt into the beat.
Towars the end there is a flute basson conclusion with the clarinet doing a solo...it has to sing!
3rd movement. The oboe sets this one up, and man you gotta be on your
toes!
Fast staccato work -and the solo tends to rush if your not certain at all to the downbeat.
This is one where your do an articulated arpeggio in 3/4 in One downward to the chalumeau. Projection and focus of sound very important. Playing a hard reed will hurt the tongue speed in my opinion.
4th Movement Horn and clarinet duo/interchange
Lots of support, and be sure to due the crescendo like the horn does. Projection and tuning are the sole issue here, so I would spend some time looking at the tuning on this treble clef solo. D, throat a clarion f# sort of thing....
David Dow
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-09-14 16:28
Sorry for the typos, in a rush. Heading out the door!!!
David Dow
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-09-14 22:08
As a bacground I reccommend highly the following recordings which I think are the best of the Beethoven 6's about!
Bohm Vienna in 1971 with Alfred Prinz outshining any other clarinetist in this piece....a true marvel and a great record...listen closely to how he matches the horn in the last movement....
Concertgebouw Orchestra under Jochum on Philips....a desert island record with super wind playing....may not be to all tastes but its a really well played opening movement and is inspired in understanding of delicacy and colours...
Karajan 6 from the 63 cycle, a little fast but what Leister does in the slow music is incredible...listen for the amazing way he finsishes the interchange in movement two at the very end....breathetaking...you should also try Bernard Walton in the Philharmonia with Klemperer. I like the Scherzo here because every note is audible.
David Dow
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Author: donald
Date: 2003-09-15 09:56
a general comment (Mr Dow has given you some excellent advice and i have little to add) when studying/playing this work pay particular attention to the style of articulation in the bassoon and oboe parts.
... and don't neglect to look at the solo at the Allegretto before H (last mvt). This looks easy, and should be easy, but will expose weaknesses in your tone/articulation/intonation if you aren't totally on the ball. Listen to yourself very critically- there's no excuse for this not to be "perfect"
donald ..
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Author: graham
Date: 2003-09-16 15:52
3rd movement is one where you could bomb or shine particularly. A great test of rythmn. Although designed by B to sound wonky I think it is an opportunity to show some off beat verve and poise. The thing that could stick out (particularly if one of the audition panel decided to vamp along on the piano with you) is the accuracy of the first quaver in the downward arpeggio. The biggest risk must be to leave it too late. It has to be prompt after the beat or the whole thing sags and you won't be able to articulate fast enough to catch up (it should all be tongued). Something to think about is pretending almost to start the arpeggio on the beat (not too literally), as a little earlier seems to me to be much better than too late.
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