 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Filettofish
Date: 2014-04-26 23:55
Hello everyone. I am beginning to select pieces for an audition at the Eastman School of Music, which consists of several standard solos and excerpts. One solo suggested is Debussy's Premier Rhapsody, which is a very challenging piece. However, the site requirements read "Debussy Premiere Rhapsodie or other French concurs solo." Does anyone have a suggestion for a less difficult alternative?
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Author: ThatPerfectReed
Date: 2014-04-27 02:11
Bryan I hear you on the degree of difficulty factor. Are you not concerned though that bringing a less difficult alternative to Eastman's audition table may come with its own risks?
Rephrased: Speaking in general terms, playing something hard and doing it well, I think, beats doing something really hard substandardly. But you've got to think that those behind the table are going to know any piece you do, and already have in their heads a notion of its difficulty compared to the recommended repetoire, no?
I'd like to hear your thoughts on that before making that suggestion.
Would Rabaud's Solo de Concurs, if not Messager's, Level 5 of 6 and 6 of 6 respectfully I believe, in the NY State Music Educator's Manual be out of realm of possibility?
http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=57049&t=57049
Music Minus One (MMO) has the late great Harold Wright doing this piece here:
http://musicminusone.com/advanced-clarinet-solos-vol-ii-harold-wright-mmocd3226.html
Note: You should be able to find this recording on the internet relatively easy. If not, MMO is a drive away from you in Elmsford, NY, near where I live.
Contact me privately in email if you need help in this regard.
Weiner Music in Mineola, closer to you, may have it too, although it doesn't seem to be on their website having done a quick glance. They may be able to special order it if need be.
http://shop.weinermusic.com/Clarinet/products/1055/
(I am unaffiliated with MMO.)
Post Edited (2014-04-27 02:14)
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Author: nsea
Date: 2014-05-05 20:43
I played Messager's Solo de Concours in my audition. As others have said, go with something challenging. You have lots of time to prepare before your audition.
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Author: tylerleecutts
Date: 2014-05-06 20:38
Correct me if I'm wrong, but could the Bozza Bucolique be substituted as a Concours piece? In my opinion, this would be harder than the Rhapsodie.
The Premiere Rhapsody just seems to be a go-to piece for this area of the repertoire, just like the Mozart Concerto is for Classical-period rep. Go with your gut (and your teacher) on this one. Do you really want to play what everyone else is playing? You definitely aren't being given a definitive list here. I made a big mistake auditioning for college playing the Weber Concertino. It was something I felt I had prepared as a "safe" piece. If I could do it over again, I would have played something like the Lutoslawski Dance preludes, or something rather complicated.
I forget who teaches at Eastman, but why don't you just email the professor about these questions? It never hurts to ask.
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2014-05-07 03:33
How times have changed. Pieces that were once final test pieces for graduation from one of the finest conservatories in the world are now entrance requirements.
You can see a list of Paris Conservatory test pieces (through 1980) here:
http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=143338&t=143338
Unless someone from Eastman tells you otherwise, I would not choose any of the pieces on the list prior to 1897, the beginning of the commissioned solos. To answer your specific question, I think most clarinetists who know what they are talking about would rate the Rabaud Solo de Concours as less technically demanding than the Debussy. You can download a free copy here:
http://imslp.org/wiki/Solo_de_concours,_Op.10_%28Rabaud,_Henri%29
to see for yourself.
I would not use this solo if I were you, however. These pieces are like figure skating routines, a series of difficult "tricks" held together by more lyrical "sections." Imagine that you are competing in the Olympics and everybody else is doing triple jumps with a couple of quads thrown in. Your routine consists of doubles with a few triples thrown in. How good do you think your chances of winning would be?
Those will probably be about your odds if you play the Rabaud and the other applicants play the Debussy (or a concours solo of similar or greater difficulty). The competition for Eastman is stiff.
FWIW, one of my teacher's former students is currently at Eastman. My teacher tells me she is pretty sure her student used the Messager instead of the Debussy. You can find a copy of the Messager to look over on IMSLP. IMO, it's as technically demanding as Debussy.
The following concours solos are also available on IMSLP and should be public domain in the U.S.: Widor, Mouquet, Holmes, Coquard (score only), Lefebvre, Veronge de la Nux (look under Nux), Reuchsel, Gaubert (score only), d'Ollone (score only, search under Ollone). A number of these solos, including some for which IMSLP only has the score, are reprinted in "16 Grands Solos de Concert for Clarinet and Piano" compiled and revised by Daniel Bonade and published by Southern Music Co.
The Bozza Bucolique is on the concours list so it would meet Eastman's requirement. I am under the impression that there is (or, at least was when David Hite created his list) only one "Professor of Clarinet" at the Paris Conservatory at any one time and Louis Cahuzac is not on the list during his lifetime. On the other hand, I find evidence that Gervase de Peyer and Eduard Brunner both studied with Cahuzac at the Paris Conservatory so, perhaps, they had more than one teacher but only one Professor or perhaps David Hite's list is in error. If a Cahuzac work has been used as the Conservatory test piece, it must be after 1980. I would not use a Cahuzac piece unless I was sure it was on the Concours list.
Best regards,
jnk
Post Edited (2014-05-07 03:34)
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