 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jbosacki
Date: 2012-05-04 06:36
To quickly Introduce myself, I'm a clarinetist and student in Iowa and I'm looking for a piece of music that, for the last few years or so has interested me highly.
The piece is "5 Dances for 5 Clarinets" by Alfred Reed. As a very experienced doubler I was first introduced to this piece in high school by my teacher who handed me an original copy of "Guaracha" the movement for Bass clarinet. this was the only movement she had and she only had the piano part to it. She gave it to because she no longer needed/wanted it and I put it into my files for a few years. As I progressed I became more interested and tried to find out more about it
Unfortunately that's why I'm currently here. I researched it online to little help. I could only find a recording of it from just about 4 years ago with what I can't see is any contact information of the player. I then contacted my local music store, which I'm sure some of you have heard of "Eble Music" and the wonderful and highly knowledgeable employees there couldn't seem to find it in print. So at this point I can't find anywhere to make this purchase from.
I'm very highly motivated to find and play this piece. From what I've heard online it's quite delightful and I would love to program it on one of our studio recitals here at my university. In which I already have the go-ahead from my professor, in the chance I can locate it.
So I'm asking here if anyone has heard or any knowledge of this piece or where I could find it.
Thanks! any help would be wonderful
-Jeff
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Author: bradfordlloyd
Date: 2012-05-04 10:06
I haven't seen the rest of the movements, but I was able to buy "Hoe-Down" for Eb clarinet at Sheet Music Plus a few months ago. Maybe if you search by movement (rather than the whole piece) you can find it?
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Author: bradfordlloyd
Date: 2012-05-04 10:12
Okay, I looked at the piece I have and tracked down the publisher. Here's a link and you can find the Reed pieces just a bit down the page (I'm not sure that they're all there because I can't recall the names of all of the movements):
http://www.ebmarks.com/instrumental.htm
I hope that this helps. Please post a recording on this BBoard after you do your performance!
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Author: Jbosacki
Date: 2012-05-04 18:32
oh that's awesome! I will definitely be giving them a call within the next few days!
thanks so much for your help, I hope I can track this down and perform them!
The performance most likely won't be for at least a few months unfortunately if not like 6-7. But I will when I do!
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Author: Jbosacki
Date: 2012-05-04 23:30
The problem also at this point is that I'm not sure which one of those 7 pieces are from the original suite.
I know "hoe down" and the Guaracha Piece, but the other three I'll have to do more research on
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2012-05-05 11:54
From a recital program:
I. Hoedown (Eb Piccolo)
II. Sarabande (Eb Alto)
III, Guaracha (Bb Bass)
IV. Afro (Eb Contraalto)
V. Hora (Bb Soprano, according to the program notes)
Best regards,
jnk
Post Edited (2012-05-05 12:00)
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Author: bradfordlloyd
Date: 2012-06-21 00:14
Hey....a quick update.... Van Cott has been able to locate all five pieces and has them on order. I'm going to pick them up....it's never easy finding good solos for alto, bass, contrabass....
No affiliation with Van Cott, but Gary was nice enough to track these down for me, so I thought I'd share the info.
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Author: knorthover
Date: 2012-06-23 17:04
Greetings,
I actually performed these on my senior recital at UF, which is probably my program that everyone is discovering. Reed composed these Five Dances for Don McCathren, when he was touring and advocating stronging for auxiliary clarinets. When he ended his career at Stetson and passed away, his wife donated his music to UF and included was a copy of the printed versions as well as what looks like the manuscript or at least a handwritten copy of the piano part with each movement connected. The Afro Contra movement can be played on either Bb or Eb, with the Bb preferred since it does go lower the the contra alto. I actually planned on performing it on Eb contra (like the program says) but we received our new contra bass a few days before the concert which I then decided I perform it instead. There are several other pieces Reed wrote like the alto clarinet Serenata and Eb clarinet March variations, however they are stand alone pieces. McCathren was a major proponent of the auxiliary family, and the other big piece dedicated to him is the Lucien Cailliet Fantasy for Five Clarinets and one performer.
I can send you a copy of what I have, but since I'm away for the summer and preparing to move to Indiana for the fall, I wouldn't be able to get them copied until late aug/sept.
It's great to see that others want to continue the promotion and advocation of Auxillary clarinets in solo performances.
Thanks
Keith
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Author: bradfordlloyd
Date: 2012-06-23 21:01
Keith:
Thanks for your response -- I'd love to hear you play the pieces, and I'm excited about preparing them myself as well.
I'm still not sure why we as clarinetists call them "auxiliary" clarinets -- in the saxophone family, they are proudly referred to by their respective "voice" (SATB) without quite so much judgement, so I'm not sure why we can't do the same.
(Okay, admittedly, much of the literature favors Bb soprano, which I'm sure was Reed's point in developing some new, broader repertoire for the other clarinets.)
Thanks again....I'm glad that there are others who support all of the various voices in the clarinet family as much as I do.
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2012-06-24 20:12
Hi,
I was a music ed. major at Ohio University in the late 1950s when Don McCathern came to Athens and performed this composition. I remember that he laid all the clarinets out on a small table and then changed between sections. We were all amazed at his facility on each of the clarinets as well as with the distinct musical color that Reed captured in each movement. A cool piece and a very neat performance. I believe he was a clinician for LeBlanc at the time.
Here is the link to information on his life and passing in 2005.
http://www.despub.com/L&S73.htm
http://www.kendormusic.com/store/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=2307
HRL
Post Edited (2012-06-24 20:16)
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Author: Jbosacki
Date: 2012-11-02 00:16
hello Keith!
I'm sorry for the very late response. So I hope you still see this! I actually got interested in this piece my Senior year of high school when my Clarinet teacher gave me Guaracha and told me it was part of a set. At the time I researched it and found a bit about it and got very interested in the work and it's just until now I'm finally going to get it together.
As much as I would appreciate the copies. For my own sake I would like to own an original of all five movements for my own personal library. So in regards to this I'm very fortunate to have Eble Music just down the street from me. I talked to them today about it and we're going to go ahead get a reprint of each movement. Which is only going to take about a week but unfortunately is going to cost me roughly 100$. It's a small cost in my mind to bring such a brilliant and almost lost piece of music back and share it with my studio.
Also, small coincidence. If you're the same person who I found another set of recordings of these on the UF website. My TA went to UF and I talked to her that she knew you and I was going to consider messaging you if I couldn't find this elsewhere! Luckily I did but a copy of some of the original transcripts would be splendid for notes/ and comparing to what I'm going to purchase.
-Jeff
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