 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: thedean
Date: 2008-08-27 23:32
Hi there,
I'm auditioning soon, well infact reauditioning to return to University to study a bachelor of Music at a fairly high standard University.
So far I have a few choices and the criteria are as follows:
1. 2 - 3 Works of contrasting style, tempi and genre
2. The Audition should last no longer than 20 minutes in playing time (keeping in mind that the auditioners will not hear all of your prepared works)
3. Accompaniment is not required however if you wish you must supply your own accompanist. (so, i can play accompanied works unaccompanied)
4. Some technical work eg. scales, arpeggios and studies may also be required.
The choices I have for pieces are:
Heinrich Josef Baermann - Adagio for Clarinet and Piano
Malcolm Arnold - Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano 1st and 3rd movements
(it would be one of the two)
C.M. von Weber - Sonatina (obviously not the whole thing)
Jean Philippe Rameau - Suite for Clarinet and Piano (not sure which of these i will play)
And a piece called Ulpirra, can't remember who its by. It's unaccompanied.
As I am without teacher and have been for a couple of years, but am a teacher my self, I need a second opinion, all of these are fairly well learnt and at a good standard. I just need to make the final decision to cover the criteria and to make my audition look and sound so much better. I will be using an accompanist where appropriate.
If you have any comments or ideas please post.
Thanks
Dean
- Instrumental Music Teacher - Melbourne, Australia
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Author: Kevin
Date: 2008-08-28 16:20
To be honest, most of those pieces seem to be very much "student pieces" in terms of technical difficulty, not the types of "stand repertoire" pieces a school of high standing might expect. That is not to say that they aren't suitable, if they are played with an exceptionally high level of musicality.
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2008-08-28 16:36
Hello Dean,
Am I correct in understanding that the list of pieces have been provided by the school you are auditioning to? If that is the case then any complaint about the appropriateness of the difficulty level must be laid at the school's feet, and not Deans.
To be brutally honest, however, you need to find someone to work with between now and the audition. To not avail yourself of instruction at this point in time (regardless of cost and inconvenience) is asking for failure, and perhaps failure for a host of mistakes that could be easily remedied.
The faculty who will be judging your performance may also discount you as a serious applicant without the aid of private instruction.
Last, why don't you take a lesson with the clarinetist you are applying to study with? Who better to tell you exactly what you need to know?
You do say you are a teacher yourself...of what? (just curiosity's sake!)
Good luck!
James
Gnothi Seauton
Post Edited (2008-08-28 16:37)
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Author: claritoot26
Date: 2008-08-28 16:42
I remember the Malcom Arnold Sonatina is a cool piece, bouncy and rhythmic. I have heard the Baermann, but not played it, and thought it was quite pretty. I have heard both of these performed by college music majors, so I would think the level is appropriate. Not as hard or as standard as Mozart or Weber Concertos, but if played well, can be quite effective. I would suggest having a teacher help you prepare. When the teacher hears you, he/she will be able to determine what piece would show off your strengths the best.
Lori
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2008-08-28 16:59
Dean, I just reread your post and it sounds as if you may have studied with the clarinetist already. Am I misreading that?
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: thedean
Date: 2008-08-29 00:26
I was a bit unclear.
I think the system here in Australia is a bit different to what is done in USA.
I have already studied at the univeristy and it not being strictly performance major there is some aspects fo history and theory and it is designed to stem you towards teaching in schools to children of all ages.
I will not choose a clarinettist to study from until i am accepted into the university.
The univeristy knows me well, because when i was there i made quite an impression in my initial audition and subsequent auditions for university orchestras and symphonic wind bands etc.
The pieces I chose were given to me by the Principal Clarinettist of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, David Thomas, when I was first studying there, but never got around to actually performing them or studying them in depth.
The issue of having lesson or guidance from someone before the audition, will not result in failure as the main part of the audition is just to see whether i have kept up my playing and the level that I am at from when i left University, which it has because I have still been giving performances and playing in orchestras and bands etc.
Just for those wondering I teach instrumental music at schools around my area - Clarinet, Sax, Flute, Piano.
Thanks for your input guys and with this new vision of how things work, maybe some of your ideas and comments will change.
Dean
- Instrumental Music Teacher - Melbourne, Victoria
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Author: andyrox
Date: 2008-08-31 03:18
I would suggest you prepare the mozart. I would try to add a piece of more technical difficulty such as stravinsky three pieces or debussy premiere rhapsody for example. Try not to prepare too much, so focus on three main pieces and be as musical as possible. good luck!
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2008-08-31 16:17
Dean,
One of the risks in bringing a question like yours to this bulletin board is that you will get (and may only get) responses from people who don't know as much as you do about what you're doing (including this response, BTW) -- and it may not always be easy to recognize that.
I think the best place to get an answer to your question would be to contact the University's music department and ask their opinion whether your list of works will suffice if you can play them really well.
As I read your post, it looks to me as though the audition is one where you have to demonstrate some minimum acceptable level of skill rather than one where you must not only show your skill but also outplay everyone else who applies (e.g., for an orchestral position or a scholarship or a spot in a highly competitive music program).
If that's true, I think you should evaluate your list relative to the stated criteria regarding diversity in style, tempo and genre. (I'm not sure what "genre" means in this case but since it's stated distinctly from style, I'll assume that it means something other than "period," e.g., orchestral vs. chamber music vs. jazz vs. Klezmer.) I think it also makes sense to rate the works on how they show different aspects of your playing, e.g., technical difficulty, tone quality/concept, intonation, and sense of rhythm. Then choose the set of works that emphasizes your strengths and doesn't emphasize any weaknesses you might have.
You already know most, if not all of what follows but, FWIW, for comparison purposes, here are my evaluations (all of the works you list, other than the Weber, are relatively short so the time lilmit should be easy to meet):
Baermann
Romantic style. Slow tempo. Chamber music for clarinet with string quartet, sometimes performed with string orchestra or in piano reduction. Not particularly difficult technically or rhythmically but very lyrical. Requires excellent intonation and breath support. (And, therefore, can demonstrate these qualities but weaknesses will stick out like a sore thumb.) I think including it would be akin to including the Adagio movement from the Mozart Concerto.
Arnold
20th century, mostly tonal style, a little jazzy at times. Fast tempo (first and third movements). Work for clarinet with piano. IMO, advanced both technically and rhythmically.
Weber ("Concertino" not "Sonatina" unless you know a work by Weber that I don't.)
Romantic but earlier Romantic than Baermann. Tempo varies depending on section. Work for clarinet and orchestra. Intermediate technical difficulty. Not difficult rhythmically but illustrates several different basic rhythmic patterns. Standard repertoire.
Rameau
I don't know this work but I will guess at its content based on a suite of music arranged for woodwind quintet that I have played and other Rameau that I have heard. (So I may be way off the mark here.) While Denner developed the clarinet during Rameau's lifetime, my guess is that this work is a transcription (which might qualify it as a different genre). Baroque style. Tempo probably varies depending on the movement. (Transcription?) for clarinet and piano. Easy to intermediate technical difficulty. In some movements, it may be difficult finding places to breathe. Easy to intermediate level of rhythmic difficulty.
Ross Edwards "Ulpirra" (unless you have a work with this title by another composer that I'm not familiar with)
This is actually a four-movement suite whose last movement also has the title "Ulpirra" so I don't know whether you are referring to (and have the music for) the entire suite or just the last movement. 20th century Australian, the most "modern-sounding " of the works on your list. The first two movements are for clarinet with (rather spare but IMO very interesting) percussion accompaniment. The last two movements are for unaccompanied clarinet. Movements 1,2, and 4 are fast tempos. Movement 3 is slow and lyrical -- IMO a truly beautiful movement that should show off lyrical ability, tone and intonation very well. Advanced technical and rhythmic difficulty. (More than enough for your audition, I think.) Ross Edwards is, I think, particularly appropriate for an audition for an Australian university -- could earn bonus points.
I think you should choose the works that show you to best advantage from at least two different periods, two different tempos, and two different genres. If it were me, I would have at least one lyrical piece and at least two technical pieces.
Assuming I could play all the above pieces equally well, I would probably rank them in the following order:
Edwards, Ulpirra -- If I could pull them off, I would play both the third and fourth movements
Arnold, Sonatina (either first or fourth movement)
Tie between Baermann and selections from Weber. In conjunction with Edwards and Arnold, I would probably prefer Baermann but I consider it a little higher-risk piece than the Weber.
Rameau -- If it's like I think it is, I personally wouldn't include it.
I doubt I've told you anything you don't already know about the pieces, except perhaps the title of the Weber and the composer of Ulpirra (and you've probably already found those out). Good luck with your audition.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: Aussiegirl
Date: 2008-09-01 11:06
Ulpirra is a great one if you can pull it off!
PS what university? I'm also in Melbourne...
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Author: clarinettefaerie
Date: 2008-09-01 22:15
Hello Dean,
It's difficult to say which piece you should play for the audition. I highly recommend Mozart's Clarinet concerto. It really depends on the type of clarinet player you are; if you're good with technique, something fast would showcase well. Since some are not gifted with the art of playing "slow" pieces, and unless you have the gift, then I would not advise you to play one of the slower pieces (Trust me on this one: one of my classmates is wonderful with technique, but she sounds dreadful when playing something slow).
Also, if you really want to showcase your talents and abilites through etudes/studies, I highly recommend a few things out of 32 Etudes for Clarinet by C. Rose. For the All-District/All-State auditions in Illinois here in the US, we play a fast etude and a contrasting slow etude, a scale sheet, and some sightreading. Good luck!
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Author: claribari
Date: 2008-09-07 23:47
I would go with the Weber, I played it for solos once; it is quite a nice tune.
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Author: thedean
Date: 2008-09-09 23:59
Thanks for all your input. Its not a huge audition I can't just play one piece I have to play 2 - 3 pieces, depends if they wanna hear them all but thanks
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