 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Napat T.
Date: 2015-12-29 07:27
I have encountered the problem on the fourth variation of The Weber's Introduction , theme and variations . The Thirty -second note on the measure 114 until the end of the variation is extremely hard. How do you practice on that variation ???
p1766147572@gmail.com
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2015-12-29 08:09
Please post the passage as an attachment, or give an on-line source.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2015-12-29 12:33
Is it just scales if I remember? Practice slowly in the key of the scale. F major? I can't recall for sure, it's been 40 plus years since I performed it. Start with 1/8 notes , take about a month and work up the speed using the metronome. If you make a mistake, play that measure 5 times correctly before moving on. Make sure there is no fear factor between your brain and your fingers, thus the reason to play the errors correctly 5 times before moving on. Then you can increase the metronome speed. There's no sense in playing the passage sort of right and sort of wrong, so take your time and train the brain to control the fingers. Other things happen when you take your time. Your sound gets better, tongue placement is better and you overall become to feel much better. Often when you screw up the first thing that happens is your embouchure in general gets twisted up making it even harder to recover with the high notes. I think the scales go to high F above the staff, with a trill?
If I'm wrong post the passage as Ken suggested.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-12-29 18:14
My copy is alluding me as well. But if I remember correctly (at least in my edition) the written rhythm is all wonky. I make sure the last group of eight notes or so are even thirty seconds swooping up, but take the rest of those figures in the standard 6/8 rhythm. I had to "recall" this in the last year and it took me a good five minutes to spit it out as I was looking at it!!!!
Performers always PERFORM it in a more "organic" way. Listen to some YOUTUBE examples. I don't think anyone every used that weird printed version.
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2015-12-29 21:28
I'm not sure where the music you're asking about occurs. There is another piece - similarly titled but not exactly "Introduction, Theme and Variations" (I don't remember the exact title). [edit: It's called Variations for Clarinet and Small Orchestra - different enough that you aren't likely to have confused the titles.] Did you copy the title of your piece accurately?
I have my copy (Sikorski edition) of Into, Theme and Vars in front of me. First off, the last variation actually labelled is Variation 3, which starts with a series of C major arpeggios. The next section, which should be Variation 4 but isn't marked that way, is the Largo Minore. Is that the variation you're asking about? If it is, the bars aren't numbered, but the whole variation is only 19 measures long. In the score on the IMSLP website, bar 114 occurs in the middle of Variation 2, so I don't know where your 114 is.
If you are asking about the largo variation, the most important thing to do is find each beat in every measure, especially the really florid ones. The 1st of the two bars with the dotted 16th and 32nd notes with the turns in between them is especially problematic, not so much to play but to keep in the same tempo as the surrounding music. So mark where the beats (it's in 4) and the subdivisions (the 8th notes) are for any measure where you aren't sure at first sight.
If that's not what you're asking about, you might want to attach a scan of the beginning of the variation or of the place at 114 that's bothering you.
Karl
Post Edited (2015-12-29 21:31)
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2015-12-29 23:08
The piece is Weber's (not Rossini's) "Introduction, Theme and Variations" for clarinet and string quartet (op. post.). You can download a free pdf copy of the clarinet and piano version at:
http://www.free-scores.com/download-sheet-music.php?pdf=43511
The file includes the clarinet part after the piano score.
I don't know of any "tricks" to make this easier. I would recommend a variation of Mike Lowenstern's suggested approach. Start at a very slow speed. You might start by setting your metronome at 60 beats per minute (bpm) and playing the 32nds as 16ths at that tempo. Go even slower if you can't play the passage cleanly at that speed. Play the passage several times at the slowest speed you can do it cleanly. Then gradually increase your speed by adding 5 bpm to your metronome. You may also want to try varying the rhythmic pattern of the four-note sections.
If you listen to performances (you can find some on the internet), you will note that good clarinetists bring out the first note (in some cases the first and third note) of each four-note grouping so that the theme stands out. Perhaps imagining a slight tenuto on each of these notes will help you accomplish that. I think your final target playing 32nds, should probably be in the vicinity of quarter = 72-76.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-12-30 00:29
Oops........I totally had the wrong Weber in mind!
This one should be really easy. Well, at least when you get it, it is a LOT of fun to play (it should be played somewhere between 120 and 132 as if the thirty seconds are 16ths).
The "trick" is to push the air on the higher notes, and withdraw as you come down. If you play with a concerted effort to play louder mostly for higher notes of the phrase and softer on the lower notes, this comes more naturally.
Trust me, in a few weeks you'll just LOVE it.
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2015-12-30 01:26
OK, I have the right one now, I think. It's the variation with the 32nd notes?
The whole thing revolves around three basic chords in C major - C (tonic), D minor (which is a substitute for the subdominant F), and G or G7 (dominant). In between each of the chord notes (occasionally there are small scale snippets, too) are pedal tones that hold each figure together. If you concentrate on the notes that fall on the 16ths (the ones around the pedal notes), the chords become quite easy. To build up speed, you have to do it the old-fashioned way, though - start at a playable tempo (doesn't have to be molto adagio, just a tempo you play without stammering and stopping every other beat). Once you've established the variation at a single tempo, speed it up in increments.
Try to keep your fingers light - don't squeeze the clarinet or let your fingers bang. Work with very big, deep breaths both to help with response over the intervals and to get to the end of the 8 bars in a single breath if you can (you actually get an extra breath half-way through the second part).
Bars 5-8 (119-122) are the same as the last four bars (127-130), which reduces your workload by a phrase.
Karl
Karl
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2015-12-30 01:56
I remember this piece now. It's really not that hard. As others have said, take it slow using the metronome. Going over the break from the low notes to the higher notes can sometime cause an embouchure issue so use a harder reed. I'd still suggest to play it the way I advised you with the thread above. It's actually a blast to play. Sounds really hard but it's not too bad.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
Post Edited (2015-12-30 02:12)
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2016-01-15 14:03
Was this piece written for orchestra or just piano and clarinet?
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: donald
Date: 2016-01-15 16:28
As it says on the music- clarinet and string quartet...
But in fact this work is NOT by Weber but by Kueffner, a bit like the Baermann Adagio allegedly composed by Wagner....
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Author: donald
Date: 2016-01-15 16:29
"A quintet of Küffner's for clarinet and strings was once attributed to Carl Maria von Weber,[2] and is still recorded in collections of Weber's music.[6] He composed seven symphonies and a large number of works for various chamber music combinations. His output also contains a substantial quantity of music for classical guitar (some of it being available in modern editions)."
[referring to the work discussed above]
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2016-01-16 02:10
The Wagner or whoever composed it is amazing! You have to be at your A game to play this slow piece with grace, the perfect mood, smooth fingers; you can't snap your fingers, but lightly lift them, amazing breathing support, and of course a beautiful sound. I've heard it live and some people nailed it, others had nerve issues and had a few stumbles with it, but in general they all got through it pretty well.
I think it should be recommended on some college auditions, but that's another subject.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: donald
Date: 2016-01-16 09:49
"The Wagner or whoever composed it" is by Baermann... there is no question about this. It is a fact. The Weber Variations (NOT Variations on Silvana or the Concertino, but the variations discussed above, and there is a link to a pdf) are by Kueffner (I can't do "u" with an umlaut on this computer) and there is no question about this, it is a fact.
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