The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: redwine
Date: 2008-10-29 14:59
Hello,
I've only recently become interested in low clarinets. As a result, I recently purchased an alto, a bass, and a contrabass clarinet. I'm always looking for great music to perform in recital with my chamber music group. The group is a bit amorphous, but usually has piano, clarinet, violin (she's also a great violist), cello and soprano, in any combination. We can add others as well.
So, does anyone have any suggestions for great music for a low clarinet with or without any of the above instruments? Thanks for your suggestions! Having never really concentrated on the low clarinets, I've never really thought about repertoire, so I'm working basically with a blank slate. I did just recently purchase an Alfred Reed piece for contrabass, and have a Sowash piece for bass clarinet.
Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance.
Ben Redwine, DMA
owner, RJ Music Group
Assistant Professor, The Catholic University of America
Selmer Paris artist
www.rjmusicgroup.com
www.redwinejazz.com
www.reedwizard.com
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2008-10-29 15:45
Here are a few for starters, Ben.
Bowen, Phantasy Quintet for Bass Clarinet and String Quartet
Bozza, Ballade (w/pa)
DuBois, Voltage (solo)
Genzmer, Sonata for Bass Clarinet Solo
Schoeck, Sonate Op 41 (w/pa)
I'm particularly partial to the Bowen. You can also go here and see if anything interests you:
http://www.new-music.org/alea.html
The Bach Cello Suites are popular and I get the impression that the Hindemith Sonata lends itself to being done on bass.
Is it cheating to play tenor sax music on bass clarinet?
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: rsholmes
Date: 2008-10-29 16:47
"Is it cheating to play tenor sax music on bass clarinet?"
It can only be an improvement! ;-)
Seriously, if you're looking for jazz music to play, there's not much published for (bass or otherwise) clarinet but lots for sax. No reason not to take advantage.
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Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2008-10-29 17:56
I like the Brahms sonatas, played as written, for the bass clarinet. Worried about the octave discrepancy? Remember that the great romantic lieder (art songs) are sung regularly by male and female vocalists in different octaves with no discernible ill effects! If I'm not wrong, I think Yoyo Ma plays them (Brahms clarinet/viola sonatas) on cello, too.
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Author: Sarah Elbaz
Date: 2008-10-29 20:11
I used to play on the bass clarinet the Brahms Cello sonatas, especially the e minor.
Sarah
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Author: davidsampson
Date: 2008-10-29 21:01
There is a new concerto for bass clarinet and strings or piano that has not been published yet, and you could probably make that work . Feel free to email me about it.
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Author: Iceland clarinet
Date: 2008-10-29 21:27
Ben check this CD out
http://www.amazon.com/Icelandic-Music-for-Bass-Clarinet/dp/B001DQYCK4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1225314351&sr=1-1
This is a cd with Icelandic music for bass clarinet performed by my former teacher and bass clarinetist in the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra Rúnar Óskarsson(Studied in Holland with George Pieterson and Harry Sparnaay).
You can also go to the Iceland music information center <www.mic.is> were you can buy all the sheet music from this cd and see the first pages of most of the works in pdf file.
On this cd are 2 trios for bass clarinet,flute and piano,3 solo piece and a concerto with chamber orchestra by Tryggvi M. Baldvinsson which is called Monologues-Dialogues and was performed during the world bass conference in Holland 2005. Tryggvi also composed concerto for clarinet and wind band which was dedicated to an female Icelandic clarinetist who studied with Eddy Vanoosthuyse. Eddy has recorded this concerto with the Royal symphonic band of the Belgian guides and published by <www.gobelinmusic.com>
This concerto won the Icelandic music award 2003 for the best new composition of the year.
Tryggvi has also written some more music for clarinet and also wind band and just a lot for winds. So you can also check him in the online library at Icelandic music information center.
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2008-10-30 16:45
One work I forgot to mention above is "Chocolates" by James Grant. The work was originally written for viola and orchestra but he has provided a piano reduction and an arrangement for clarinet. In the clarinet version, the first movement is for A clarinet, the second for bass clarinet, and the third for Bb clarinet switching to Eb (piccolo) clarinet at the end. (He also provides Bb parts for all three movements.) The three movements are essentially "torch songs." Parts are available at a reasonable price from the composer. You can read program notes and performers' comments here:
http://www.jamesgrantmusic.com/ORCHESTRA/_chocolates.orch.htm
The composer used to have an mp3 recording of the work on his website but the website has undergone some significant change (and appears to be a work in SLOW progress), not necessarily for the better. (For example, the main page doesn't have links to the recordings but you can find links to his "subpages" if you Google "james grant music" without the quotes.) The mp3 of "Chocolates" appears to be gone but he might be willing to send you one. He's very pleasant to deal with. You could share the work with your violinst/violist member.
He also wrote a bass clarinet concerto for Bill Helmers. A streaming performance as well as pdf files of the score, solo part and piano reduction are available here:
http://www.jamesgrantmusic.com/BassClarinetists.htm
There is also a work "Entr'acte" for clarinet, viola, cello and piano here (bottom of the page) -- links to both an mp3 performance and pdf files of the parts but the links to the pdf files don't work:
http://www.jamesgrantmusic.com/SONGS.VARIOUS/viola.htm
I think you'd like his style, Ben.
Also worth looking for, though it's apparently out-of-print, is a CD of the 5 Sonatas for solo bass clarinet by David Loeb. In addition to performances of all the sonatas (which appear to be progressive in terms of difficulty) by Henri Bok, the disk includes pdf files of all the works.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: Eh.Steve0
Date: 2008-10-30 18:39
Check out the CD Monologues by Lawrie Bloom. You won't be dissapointed.
-Stephen Ian Savage-
Clarinet Performance
CCM
"The first question I ask myself when something doesn't seem to be beautiful is why do I think it's not beautiful. And very shortly you discover that there is no reason." -John Cage (1912 - 1992)-
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