 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: stellaroja
Date: 2005-04-13 02:26
i need a good impressive solo to play but i dont have that much to time to prepare it (a month maybe) This is for an audition for something at my high school and i really want it to be impressive. I practice a lot so if its do able in a months time i can do it. Does anybody have any good suggestions...they would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-04-13 02:35
ANY solo can be impressive if your preparation is thorough, you play it musically and you make it your own...GBK
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Author: theclarinetist
Date: 2005-04-13 03:23
Will you have a piano, or will it be played alone? There are many pieces that that sound impressive with piano, but just don't work as well on their own.
DH
PS - I doubt that "The Lonely Clown" could sound impressive, even in the most capable hands...
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Author: Robert Moody
Date: 2005-04-13 04:57
GBK said, "ANY solo can be impressive if your preparation is thorough, you play it musically and you make it your own...GBK"
As nice as that sounds, I disagree with GBK here (I'm sorry, GBK! Forgive me!!).
Though you do need to be prepared to the degree GBK is suggesting, you need something that has both music and technique. I would suggest that you can get away with an imbalance of "music" to technique, but you need something with at least a little, "Wow!...that was tight!" as well.
Maybe the Spohr Second Concerto, middle movement? It has a little flash and trash (at least to the ears) and is very, very pleasant to the ears. Be very dramatic, but especially in the arpeggiated runs. one thing people often forget with arpeggios like those in the middle movement of the Spohr number two is to really plant that first note.
Anyway, good luck.
Robert Moody
http://www.musix4me.com
Free Clarinet Lessons and Digital Library!
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-04-13 05:12
Robert:
I specifically wrote "ANY solo can be impressive if your preparation is thorough, you play it musically and you make it your own." as a pre-emptive strike against all those who were ready to suggest solos made up primarily of flashy runs and non-stop technical passages.
I was happy to see you refer to the middle movement of Spohr 2, as it reinforces my point that a solo doesn't always have to be at mm=152 to be impressive. Many of us clearly remember Morales playing the famous solo from La Forza del Destino at Clarinetfest '95. After the last note, you could have heard a pin drop, because the audience was so mesmerized by his performance. Impressive? You bet...
Some of the most beautiful and moving musical moments don't involve a thousand notes per minute.
Although apocryphal, we all know the famous scene in Amadeus:
Mozart: So, then, you liked it, you really liked it, sire?
Joseph II: Well, of course I did! It's very good! Of course, now and then, just now and then, it seems, a touch...
Mozart: What do you mean, sire?
Joseph II: Well, I mean, occasionally, it seems to have... oh, how should one say, um... How shall one say, Director?
Orsini-Rosenberg: Too many notes, your Majesty.
Joseph II: Exactly, very well put. Too many notes.
Mozart: I.. I don't understand. There are just as many notes, Majesty, as I required, neither more nor less.
Joseph II: But... uh, there are in fact, only so many notes the ear can hear in the course of an evening. I think I'm right in saying that, aren't I, Court Composer?
Salieri: Yes, yes. On the whole. Yes, Majesty.
Mozart: This is absurd!
Joseph II: My dear young man, don't take it too hard. Your work is ingenious! It's quality work. And there are simply too many notes, that's all. Just cut a few and it will be perfect.
Mozart: Which few did you have in mind, Majesty?
...GBK
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Author: Markus Wenninger
Date: 2005-04-13 06:22
Penderecki, Three Miniatures (very short,though, subtle quirkiness, great, p accomp. requ.)
Chyrzynski, Quasi Kwasi (I to III; perfect for what You wrote, each between 4' and 8')
Bucchi, Concerto per Clarinetto solo (1969; my favorite, not too long, demanding without being too hard, multiphonic passage as well as quartertones, many tremolos - catching, simply)
Do risk something, imho, play on the edge, and of course this includes ridiculousness and failure, but that makes success only so much sweeter, really. No it´s not about the "many notes" that makes a piece a work of art, not at all, I agree, there´s a Cagean motto that should be hammered in any performer´s head, repeatedly - "If in doubt, my friend, do nothing.". On the other hand, if one c a n play a mindbogging passage, it´s still so comforting for our psyche to show off, we´d have to admit that...
Markus
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2005-04-13 14:09
stellaroja -
The best solo to choose depends on how advanced you are. Are you up to the Weber Concertino? It has slow, lyrical parts and fast, flashy parts. A month should be enough time to work it up.
If you don't feel ready for the Concertino, try the first movement of Weber Concerto #1, or one of the Stamitz concerti or the Kramer/Krommer.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2005-04-13 14:24
Wow, sometimes it feels I was raised on a different clarinet planet. In my world, movement 1 of Weber 1 is in a much tougher league than the Concertino -- doubly so if you toss in the Baermann cadenza.
stellaroja -- You can hardly go wrong with any Weber choice, as long as you pay attention to the musical aspects and not just the razzle-dazzle.
________________
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
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Author: theclarinetist
Date: 2005-04-13 20:18
Messager's Solo de Concours is a nice solo. It sounds really hard (though the techniques required doesn't stray much from basic scales/arpeggios), but the writing is incredibly melodic at the same time (not just runs for the sake of runs). The major technical hurdles are the speed, and many passages where finding places to breath is quite difficult.
Assuming a certain level of technical/musical proficiency, I think this piece could be learned very well in a month.
DH
- rather than adopting an "either, or" stances to musicality vs technique (no posters have explicitly said this, though many people, I think, often fall into this kind of thinking), why not strive for a pieces that is technically dazzling AND showcases your musical/expressive finesse. The choices aren't either something musical or something technical.
An easier solo played well is impressive, but a hard solo with ample technical challenges played well with good musicality is even more impressive!
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-04-13 20:26
theclarinetist wrote:
> An easier solo played well is impressive, but a hard solo with
> ample technical challenges played well with good musicality is
> even more impressive!
Unfortunately, "a hard solo with ample technical challenges" played with not enough preparation is more the norm ...GBK
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Author: theclarinetist
Date: 2005-04-14 03:38
which is why I qualified it with "played well with good musicality"... Like I said, you're slipping into "either, or" thinking... just because many people slop their way through a hard solo doesn't mean we should lower our standards and never try anything... That being said, it's essential to know one's abilities and limitations to avoid the pitfall you mentioned.
DH
People always say "slow and good" is better than "fast and sloppy"... I say "fast and good" is better than both (I don't consider this naive. Idealistic maybe...)
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-04-14 04:06
As a NYSSMA judge, I can't begin to count the number of students who come in and attempt to play a solo which is clearly beyond their current ability.
When asked why they chose such a difficult work, they invariably answer: "Because my teacher gave it to me."
Thus, the fault lies not with the student, but with the teacher who needs to realistically assess the ability of their own students.
Of course, students should always be encouraged to perform music which challenges them and takes their learning to new levels, but not at their expense because teachers are on a personal ego trip, trying to impress both parents and colleagues...GBK
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Author: clarisax
Date: 2005-04-14 04:27
one of my favorite solos for unaccompanied clarinet is malcolm arnold's fantasy for Bb clarinet. i used this solo for a youth symphony audition a few years ago and ended up getting principal with it. it isnt really that difficult and i learned it a week before my audition. if you dont have a good teacher who will point out all the intricacies of this piece i would not play it however.
the piece starts out with a theme that is very loud and kind of heroic sounding. the articulation in this piece is VERY important, at least to me. right after the theme is stated it is repeated but at a "pp possibile" dynamic level. the instant change to pp is what really gets the judges attention.
my teacher told me to play it exactly like i played it at the ff dynamic but as soft as possible so that it sounds as tho its an echo far off in the distance.
next comes the vivace section which is in 3/8. from here on out its pretty difficult to explain and its up for a lot of interpretation. i like to play this section as quickly and clean as possible. i really think its impressive when a clarinet plays softly, quickly, and with a nice clean stoccato, which is what this section calls for in some measures. there are several severe dynamic changes, huge intervals and even several octave jumps ...low e to high e at one point. the rhythms are also very interesting in this section and the articulation combined with the rhythms is very, very cool. at one point the meter seems like its 2/4 because of the notes are grouped in such a way. its really interesting to not only play, but also to listen to.
after the vivace you have the "alla marcia" section which is very fast at about quarter = 130 or so. it doesnt seem THAT fast until you get the the 16th notes that are grouped in sixes...sixlets? this section has a lot of dynamic contrast and really shows musicianship.
the alla marcia section then ritards and fades into the lento section at about quarter = 60. it resolves back to the original theme but an octave lower and at pp. 5 measures before the peice comes to an end there is a B major 7th arpeggio (i think, it consists of i believe B, D#, F#, and A) that is tongued heavily and that crescendos and accels back to a quick, fiery, tempo for a flashy end to this peice. the piece ends on a high E for four LOUD beats that is followed by a quick flourish of 32nd notes downward in the pattern of a E minor arpeggio to the lowest E for four LOUDER beats. the end really screams.
this piece really is all about dynamic contrast, articulation, and of course technique. ive used this with great success. my teacher performed this piece 15 years ago and she still gets compliments from people who were in the audience. be warned however that this is a modern piece and it may not fit the requirements that you have. if you want a short and unique piece this is the one for you. it will really set you apart from the others because of the high level of musicianship that is needed to pull it off successfully.
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Author: GoatTnder
Date: 2005-04-14 05:39
Another piece to look, also by Malcolm Arnold, is his sonatina for clarinet and piano. It's about 6 minutes long with all three movements. None of them are really exceedingly difficult, but it does have it's moments (the middle of the 3rd movement comes to mind). Also, the 2nd movement has one of the most beautiful melodies in the clarinet repertoire. It's well within the grasp of a serious player with a month's preparation.
You could also try a few of Finzi's 5 bagatelles. I would suggest the 1st, 2nd, and 5th. Together, it's probably just under 10 minutes. If that's too long, maybe just 2nd and 5th.
Thirdly, the Brahms sonatas are wonderful pieces. Between the 2, there are 7 movements to choose from, and I'm sure you can find exactly what you're looking for technically, musically, and entertainment-ly (yeah it's a word).
My favorite of the three is the Arnold sonatina. In fact... time to start playing.
Andres Cabrera
South Bay Wind Ensemble
www.SouthBayWinds.com
sbwe@sbmusic.org
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Author: clarispark
Date: 2005-04-15 13:35
If you're playing with just piano, and can get your hands on some old music...
Weber wrote a piece that was called "Grand Duo Concertante", I think (I'm playing it for a high school exit assessment) for clarinet or violin and piano. The arrangement I'm using is at least a hundred years old; it's from something called Collection Litloff . It's got a yellow, very ornamental cover and advertising in German for other pieces from the same company. The Grand Duo is quite long, but a fun piece. It doesn't have any really difficult runs, unless you have problems with playing sixteenth notes in six-eight. Perhaps a college or large city's music library would have it to loan.
Hope this helps,
Michelle
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2005-04-15 14:24
The Weber Grand Duo Concertant is for clarinet and piano.
Carl Fischer now has a CD Solo Series for several works that includes the piano part on CD, and the series includes the Grand Duo. I have this and the piano accompaniment is pretty good. Very helpful for practicing.
http://www.carlfischer.com/Fischer/cdsolos.html
________________
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
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Author: gsurosey
Date: 2005-04-15 17:52
GBK:
Where in NY do you judge? I did NYSSMA solo festivals when I was in high school. Zone 21 I believe (Livingston County).
Rachel
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