 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ClariTone
Date: 2006-03-05 05:11
Hello!
I recently won the 2006 Young Artist Competition at PSU, and will be performing the Weber Concertino with the PSU Wind Ensemble. I've never soloed (spelling?) with a Wind Ensemble before, and need some advice. Has anyone on this BBoard played the Concertino with a wind band (or any other clarinet solo with wind and accompianiment)? What kind of advice could you offer a nervous high school senior? After the performance, I definitely want to acknowledge the band for giving me this amazing oppurtunity. Any advice or opinions on how to do this would also be greatly appreciated!!! THANKS!!!
Clayton
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Author: JessKateDD
Date: 2006-03-05 05:23
Hmm - I've never soloed with a wind band, but I have with some orchestras. I found out the hard way that when I make eye contact with someone in the audience while playing, I mess up badly. So when I'm a soloist, I keep my eyes on the floor just a few feet in front of me. The only person I look at is the conductor, basically to cue him when I'm doing some sort of tempo change or when I'm unhappy with the pace.
As for acknowledging the band, always shake hands with the conductor and concertmaster. Also, after bowing to the audience and enjoying their applause for a bit, turning around and clapping to the band would be a nice touch.
Incidentally, I won my first competition and had my first concerto appearance with the Concertino when I was a high school senior. Small world.
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Author: andyrox
Date: 2006-03-05 06:27
I won at a competition to play a solo for the Claremont Winds, in Claremonet California. I had to cancell it because it was the same day as my audition for University of Southern California. :( even though i have no experience playing a solo with a wind band, you should practice with the metronome and listen to some recordings. Study the score if u can. Good Luck
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Author: crnichols
Date: 2006-03-05 08:40
I've played that piece several times with different wind ensembles, it's a good choice for that medium. A few things that you need to keep in mind...wind ensemble's are typically less flexible than string orchestras in terms of attacks (they need to breath), so you need to give good preparations to the conductor. Also, get Pamela Weston's edition of it if you don't have it, it will separate Weber from Baermann for you, and then you can make ornamental decisions in good taste, instead of just being traditional. Also, something particularly interesting to note in that edition, is that the tempo does not change when going from the sixteenth note variation to the variation in the low registers. In the editions most people play from, they cut the tempo nearly in half. It works much better to keep it in time, and think of it in two. If you look at what's written, it's pretty clear that the unit of the beat is the half note. Also, make sure those sforzandi are very loud clear and sinister. I went to a class with Alan Hacker and played this for him, and he had an interesting insight on the A flats and G s in this section. On period instruments, the A flat is a very good strong strong note, but the G is somewhat weak. On a modern instrument, perhaps we should take that into account. I remember a post that Tony Pay made sometime ago about period instruments and how they can help us arrive at musical solutions that we wouldn't otherwise have found. I think this is a good example. Also, if you haven't already, prepare a short cadenza for the fermata before the finale. If you don't feel creative enough to write one on your own, there's one included with the Weston edition.
Finally, the M.L. Lake orchestrations are not great, but we use them all the time as there are so many of them, and they've become standard repertoire throughout the years. If this is the orchestration you are using, I would go through it with the conductor, and make some adjustments to the orchestration. There are some unnecessary doublings, that simply aren't good idiomatic wind writing.
One final item, this is a brief piece and I'm sure you know it well. It adds an element to perform from memory. Only do this if you are comfortable with it though, but this would be a good piece of repertoire to make an opening gambit with if you aren't already.
Good luck!
Christopher Nichols
1st Infantry Division Band
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Author: clarinetwife
Date: 2006-03-05 17:03
crnichols wrote:
> Also, if you haven't already, prepare a short cadenza for the
> fermata before the finale. If you don't feel creative enough
> to write one on your own, there's one included with the Weston
> edition.
The Henle edition has a cadenza from an insert to a piano reduction written in the hand of Friedrich Wilhelm Jahns and attributed to H. Barmann. It surprises me how long and intricate it is. Does anyone have any insights or resources to read about this?
Also, is a cadenza common in performance these days? I haven't heard a cadenza in performance, and my recording does not have one. It certainly can make sense, but the theme and variations form seems okay without it as well.
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Author: Clarinetgirl06
Date: 2006-03-05 19:27
Charles Neidich created his own Cadenza to Concertino and put it right before the 6/8 part began. It's in his recording and is rather interesting. It was the first time I had ever heard a cadenza in the Weber Concertino before.
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Author: crnichols
Date: 2006-03-05 19:41
I wouldn't say that a cadenza is common there, especially if you think about how many people play this piece the world over, and how many are operating from the W. Strasser edition that so many district festivals require students to play from. I have heard a few recordings that include a cadenza. Besides Neidich's, Phillipe Cuper includes one in his recording with the Brittany Orchestra (actually it's the cadenza in the Weston edition that he includes, which she attributes to Baermann). It's not really that long or intricate, at least in my opinion. You could actually take the stance that it's not proper to include such a thing there as the preceding harmony doesn't provide the prepartation for a cadenza in the classical sense, but I think a brief one is nice. Besides, it's Weber, so it's not purely in the classical style. It's far from essential, merely something I've heard that I now suggest purely based on personal preference.
Christopher Nichols
1st Infantry Division Band
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Author: ClariTone
Date: 2006-03-06 02:33
Thanks to all who have responded!! I'm not sure about using a cadenza. The edition I'm using doesn't call for one, nor does it have one written in (although, like Carrie, I've heard several different clarinetists put them in before the 6/8 bar). Chris you have some awesome views on the Weber, and I will try to implement them.
Another question. What differences are there between playing with the band as opposed to a single pianist?? Do I need to play a little louder with the band, or should I play like I would with my pianist, and hope everyone adjusts their dynamics?? Oh, and how should I go about acknowledging the band after the performance during the (HOPEFULLY!!!) applause?? Thanks!!
Clayton
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Author: Tyler
Date: 2006-03-06 02:41
I played Concertino with the Northland Symphony in Liberty, MO, spring of 2005 and the two biggest things I would warn you of are: 1) intonation on the opening (be aware of wide 12ths) and 2) tempo on the 6/8 section; don't let them slow you down or it will sound forced, sloppy, and choppy. If they drag, just keep going right along; they'll eventually catch up.
fwiw
-Tyler
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