 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: susannah
Date: 2002-04-12 04:03
I would like to play the francaix concerto in an exam situation (ie. not with orchestra), but the edition I have has a piano reduction which is basically just the orchestral parts out into as little staves as possible. In some places this means that the piano part alone has four staves full of notes, and ranging about 5 octaves! It is obviously quite impossible for a single pianist to play this.
Has anyone played the francaix with piano before? Is there a better edition? Do we need to cut out the least important bits ourselves? Arrange for piano four hands? Any help would be much appreciated.
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Author: diz
Date: 2002-04-12 04:36
I think you might find that many modern piano pieces are written over more than 3 staves - depends on if you need to play bassnotes - hold them (with the pedal) and then use the same hand to add another cluster above - anyway, it sounds tedious and difficult.
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Author: susannah
Date: 2002-04-12 04:40
Diz, I actually play piano (not very well), so yes, I know about pedalling the bass notes. However, this reduction could not be played, even by an excellent pianist. Just wondering what other people have done?
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Author: diz
Date: 2002-04-12 04:51
I don't know the work, I hate to admit, susannah, but you've certainly piqued my interest!
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Author: rmk
Date: 2002-04-12 12:39
Yes, the accompaniment is almost unplayable. However, Francaix was an excellent pianist, so I wonder if he was able to play it.
I made a MIDI file years ago of the first movement, just to see what it sounded like.
BTW, has anyone ever tried performing this on the A clarinet (i.e. up a semitone)? It makes some things easier, but other passages are more awkward. However, it solves the low Eb problem in the cadenza.
(When I studied this with Russianoff, he said "Just play an E natural. Who would know the difference?")
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Author: GBK
Date: 2002-04-12 13:06
I've always loved Jack Brymer's assessment of the Françaix:
"...A work for the future, possibly, when the instrument has developed further or the human hand has changed..."
He does mention the A clarinet as a possible solution...GBK
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-04-12 15:12
Jack Brymer's evaluation of difficulty in his book is, to say the least, inconsistent. I edited the appendices of the American version of his book and questioned his description of the Martino Set for Clarinet as being of "moderate difficulty," but was told to mind my own business.
I've heard several excellent performances and recordings of the Francaix Concerto. (I like the Maruice Gabai LP best, but it's long out of print.) It may be beyond Jack Brymer (and it's certainly beyond me), but it definitely can be played by the better technicians. Actually, I've noodled on it, and it lies pretty well, even if it is in the key of B.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: HAT
Date: 2002-04-12 18:34
A very smart pianist can accompany this concerto. I have read through it with a few different people. As far as an 'audition' situation goes, you might be able to find someone who can do it. For an actual performance, it would sound dull with piano anyway. Depends on what part of the country you live in. Here in NY, there are literally dozens of pianists who can sight-read that accompaniment in a competent way. I find it amazing.
Some people use two pianists to play the accompaniment.
The concerto is a b-flat clarinet concerto, and the low e-flat in the cadenza is, to the best of my knowledge, a misprint. THere is some problem with that whole tremolo passage, but I have not gotten it entirely cleared up.
If you practice a lot of scales and arpeggios, this work is not as hard as it looks. Make no mistake, though, it requires some pretty serious technique and velocity.I don't think transposing this concerto to the A clarinet is the right answer. And you would need to be awfully flexible in the high register to do so, no?
I have the Gabai recording and it is very good (I think his recording of the Milhaud is even better). Interesting to hear Francaix conduct his concerto at tempos below what is marked. For me, the marked tempos are not only to fast to play, but too fast for the ear to hear what's going on. I know Charles Neidich plays the marked tempos and believes in them, having discussed the work with Francaix himself.
David Hattner, NYC
www.northbranchrecords.com
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Author: ken
Date: 2002-04-12 22:32
Excuse my ignorance but the concerto being discussed isn't Francaix's "Tema Con Variazioni" is it? In my part, there's no low Eb in the 7th variation cadenza, the Eschig publication I have is written or Bb not A, the piano part doesn't contain any unusually wide intervals requiring a four-handed passage. Just curious.
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Author: susannah
Date: 2002-04-13 00:00
No, we are not talking about the Francaix theme and variations... we're talking about the concerto.
Thanks for everyones help..
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