 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Aaron Gallant
Date: 2001-01-19 06:36
Hello all. I'm posting this because I'm asking for advise about unaccompanied clarinet solos. I'm a senior in high school, obviously I play clarinet (and sax and other stuff, but yeah), and it's about time that I have to be thinking about the annual "Solo and Ensemble" contest. I don't have to enter it, but I kind of want to, after all I'm very much into music of all sorts and such.
Which is sort of my problem. The Solo and Ensemble contest, at least where I live, is essentially one restrictive genre: classical, but more specifically "5 to 10 minutes of a clarinet playing exercises in scales and arpeggios, some tongued and some not, in various keys, with occasional rhythmic variations and melodic phrases, all accompanied by a piano playing chords beneath you also with occasional melodic phrases." It's not really that bad, but regardless I personally prefer jazz/swing/improv. I personally wish that they'd keep their old contest, but make a new one that allows for jam sessions and such *shrug* oh well.
Anyway, what I want to do is play an unaccompanied solo, both because that means I don't have to get an accompaniest (both a hassle, and also makes it hard to rehearse with them regularly enough, and even though I'm confident that they'll play everything techncially "right" I personally don't like it as I want to make music, not arpeggios and scales over chords, and I don't know of an accompaniest who I trust to truly make music with me), and because I think it's cool. Last year, when I was a junior, a senior of the time played an unaccompanied solo by Stravinsky. I forget the exact title, but it was something simple like "Three pieces" or something... maybe it was five. Anyway, I don't want to play that exact same one the year after she played it because that'd be kind of obviously copying and such, but I do want to find an unaccompanied solo.
So I went over to good old google.com and did a search. Here were the best places I was able to find:
http://www.schirmer.com/S/clarinet/solo.htm
http://www.hickeys.com/pages/clalone.htm
http://www.jeanne-inc.com/clarinet_unaccompanied.htm
http://www.dornpub.com/ken/unclar.html
Anyway, all the sites lists maybe a dozen different unaccompanied solos, all for sale. It doesn't really give any info on them, and some sites share some solos, so maybe there are 30 solos total that I could choose from. I actually plan to get plenty of them long term, because they sound fun to play and mess with. However, my short term concern is figuring out one for the contest.
I'm concerned with two things, primarily:
1) Length: the longest I can play is 10 minutes for the contest, and I also want it to be I'd say at least 5 minutes long, plus or minus
2) Genre: the contest wants classical music. Now a lot of "modern" stuff still counts as classical, if you're talking about Stravinsky or Shostakovitch. But some of these things look like they're hot off the presses. It's hard to tell, and I'd prefer not to guess and end up accidentally choosing one that they deem unacceptable.
I likely will see if I can get more specific info from the contest people, but at this point that's unlikely. So essentially what I'm asking is any advise any of you have for an unaccompanied clarinet solo that technically counts as "classical" but isn't just an exercise in scales and arpeggios, and is 5-10 minutes in length. If you see it/it is on one of the four websites I've already found, cool. If you know of a solo not on those sites, go ahead and name it anyway, but please if you know of a place I can order it from list that too.
Thank you for your time for reading this behemoth of a post, and I hope you can help me with my dilemma.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Judy
Date: 2001-01-19 22:52
I've always enjoyed listening to Malcolm Arnold's "Fantasy for Clarinet." It fits all of your conditions (6 or 7 minutes long, bona fide classical but very cool, and available for sure from Jeanne Inc.).
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: angella
Date: 2001-01-19 23:29
Actually, Malcom Arnold was born Oct. of 1921, which puts him WAY after the "classical" period. If by classical you mean "style", that's one thing, but if by genre, then Malcom Arnold is not. I'm not sure there are any, (or any challenging enough) solo works that date back to the Classical period. I have a CD that has some unacc. works from the Romantic period but still, not classical, and they weren't all that challenging, or it seemed from listening. Which use of "classical" are you refering to?
As far as unaccompained works, the Stravinsky Three Pieces are good, but require A and B flat clarinet. There's a nice piece by William Osborne called Rhapsody. Depending on your level, there are tons of really cool pieces. Maybe you could do a movement of a piece if it's too long? The Preludes on Themes of Gershwin is very cool, by Paul Harvey. There's the Suttermeister "Capriccio", Joan Tower "Wings", Rozsa "Sonatina", but they are all 20th century or pretty late 19th.
Hope you find what you're looking for.
Angella
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Aaron Gallant
Date: 2001-01-19 23:52
Thanks for replying. When I say classical I don't mean it technically has to be from the classical period, whatever technical period that was. After all both Shostakovitch and Stravinsky were 19th or 20th century, right? It just has to be something that isn't jazz or pop, or well any genre besides classical :p. Especially not pop though, I hate pop heh.
I do have access to an A clarinet so if the solo requires it that's just peachy. However, the Three Pieces by Stravinsky was done just last year so I'd prefer to do something different.
And as for "classical" and what counts and doesn't, as I say I'm not sure, but my general impression is that modern is cool, but Gershwin is likely too "jazzy" to really count, so I probably couldn't get away with that. That and "modern" classical is probably fine, as long as it isn't like 1980 or 1990 modern or something. Late 19th century/early-maybe mid 20th century would probably be best.
I'll check out that Arnold "Fantasy for Clarinet" thing, it sounds good.
Anyway, thanks for your time/help and if you have more info/input please do reply .
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Meg
Date: 2001-01-20 00:16
I also have entered the Solo and Ensemble Festival though I an a junior. I had been working on the Pocket-Size Sonata by Alec Templeton my teacher suggested that the first movement would be acceptable to play if I wanted. It's kind of jazzy but is also kind of classical. It does require and accompanist though. It's a thought. When is your festival? For me it's next Saturday. If it's the same day as mine, I'd say you left it to the very last minute!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Aaron Gallant
Date: 2001-01-20 00:24
I'm not sure the exact date of the competition, but I know that the entry form itself isn't due until February 2nd, and I expect the concert is at earliest late February, more likely March sometime. So it's not quite so soon. I do realize I could have started earlier and would probably be better off, except for one thing: I'm an awful procrastinator and I know it, so even if I'd figured it all out and gotten the music months ago I wouldn't really have practiced considerably for it until maybe about now/in a week or two. So it's not so bad. I just have to figure out exactly what I want to do, although that Arnold "Fantasy for Clarinet" sounds pretty nice *shrug* I'll figure it out.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: deebee
Date: 2001-01-20 14:29
it's worth a browse through this site's composition listings for "one performer" -
http://www.sneezy.org/Databases/Composers/Performers/index1.html
and especially past BBoard postings (in this instance using "unaccompanied" as a key word) -
http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/BBoard/search.html?f=1&search=unaccompanied&match=1&date=0&fldsubject=1&fldbody=1
cheers - deebee
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Kristen
Date: 2001-01-22 02:48
Is this contest run by the district/state? If so, you might check the rules again. I know
that in my state (OK), at the HS solo and ensemble contest all solo works must have
accompaniment. And, I think you waited a little late to START learning pieces
like the Osbourne Rhapsodie and Stravinsky Three. I've been working on Stravinsky
Three for a year now and it's almost ready for my senior recital next month.
You might take a giant step back and think about what you are getting in to. It
might be wise to choose a piece (w/accomp) that you are already somewhat
familiar with.
Good luck.
Kristen
U of Tulsa
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
