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Gordon Jacob Works for Clarinet

Author: Micaela
Date: 2001-09-01 03:09

I played the Gordon Jacob Wind Quintet No. 1 (Serenade) at camp this year. I'd never heard of Jacob before but I liked the piece. From the Sneezy composition database, I see he's written some pieces for solo clarinet. What are they like? How hard are they?

I like Finzi too...a vaguely similar style, I suppose.

Thanks,
Micaela

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RE: Gordon Jacob Works for Clarinet

Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2001-09-01 06:06

Micaela,

A number of Jacob's pieces involving clarinet have been recorded. Pro Digital, PRO-9226, has his Concertino (actually an arrangement based on movements from two of Tartini's violin sonatas, basically a baroque piece) in its Clarinet and Piano version, Five Pieces for Solo Clarinet, Three Songs for Soprano and Clarinet and the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings. There are two recordings of the Concertino in its orchestral version that I am aware of, one by Lawrence Sobol (probably a Grenadilla LP reissued on a Ken West CD) and one by Emma Johnson on ASV. Thea King has recorded the "Mini-Concerto" on Hyperion CDA66031, coupled with concerti by Alan Rawsthorne and Arnold Cooke (this one makes my desert island list). This may be available currently as a mid-line re-release.

The pieces I am most familiar with are the Mini Concerto and the Three Songs. I would rate both as logical in their construction, challenging but playable, great fun to play and delightful to hear. IMHO, the Mini-Concerto is a small masterpiece.

For me, Jacob writes with a bit more humor than Finzi but, if you like Finzi, you will probably like the Mini-Concerto and Three Songs. If you can play the Finzi, you can certainly play these.

Best regards,
jnk

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RE: Gordon Jacob Works for Clarinet

Author: Simone
Date: 2001-09-01 09:16

I love the "Five Pieces for solo clarinet", especially the No.2 "Waltz" and No.3 "Homage To J.S.B" (J.S.B. means Johann Sebastian Bach). They are published by the Oxford University Press. They are all fun to play (and to listen to) and not too difficult.

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RE: Gordon Jacob Works for Clarinet

Author: col
Date: 2001-09-01 11:32

jacob also wrote an interesting double concerto for trumpet and clarinet

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