 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: cfarrell
Date: 2019-09-18 03:49
I’m trying to find some music for solo bass clarinet and concert band, playable by a reasonably high level amateur. The only piece I’m really familiar with is Basswood, but I’d like some other options and have been having a lot of trouble tracking anything down. Are some of the other classics for bass cl/piano adapted for concert band?
Thanks!
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2019-09-18 06:18
Hi CFarrell,
I got a chance to hear two bass clarinet solos with concert band this past summer and both were excellent. Not any traditional bass solo but rather performance using standard clarinet literature.
The first was the Rondo from the Von Weber Clarinet Concert #1. And the second was the Custer arrangement of John William's The Theme from Schindler's List but played on bass. The Rondo was played as is but the performer of the Williams chose to mirror the tessitura of the cello and took a few liberties so as to include a range of three octaves.
Here is an idea on how that sounded as the arrangement below is exactly the same as band arrangement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L629Yy3VbB8
Perhaps think out of the box a little like these two players did and I'm sure there are many other compositions with band arrangements that could be performed quite successfully on bass clarinet.
HRL
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2019-09-20 06:40
So tell me Dr. Hank, how much does one have to pay a concert band to have them accompany you while you play a bass clarinet feature? Or was it a military band where they're all getting paid anyway? Just curious.
But anyway, standard clarinet repertoire works on bass too, it's what I played in high school solo festivals back when dinosaurs ruled the earth.
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2019-09-20 15:41
Attachment: untitled.png (101k)
DS,
Long time, no see.
In the case of the Rondo, the player was the yearly scholarship winner so he actually got a hefty award and the opportunity to do the solo. On the other one, that concert band regularly features a soloist or two at a concert and the player and the conductor evidently made a joint decision. I think the conductor even said that "the last time he ever heard a bass clarinet and band solo, the soloist was Al Galladoro."
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Author: Ebclarinet1
Date: 2019-09-20 21:52
Two years ago I played "The Castle of Doctor Bassclar" with our symphonic winds. It is a WILD piece with extensive use of the extended range and some very high notes. The cadenzas are quite cool.
The piece sort of echoes a Dracula story so has some wild "noises from the lab" that are created by creating high overtones off the low C.
The original part requires acting on the part of the bass clarinetist but we did a different twist, using an interpretive dance team to perform a dance to describe the moods. It worked out really nicely.
The premiere of the work in Spain is on U-tube.
Kevin
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Author: cfarrell
Date: 2019-09-22 02:58
This is all interesting, but surely there is something actually written for bass clarinet? If I was going to play Bb literature honestly I'd just play it on Bb. I'm a little surprised that there is no arrangement of some of the "entry level" solo classics like the Bozza Ballade or the Desportes Andane and Allegro for concert band, surely there are aspiring you bass bass clarinetists out there who need something to play with their school groups?
The Schindler's List theme does sound like an interesting possibility! Any idea where to track down sheet music?
The Castle of Doctor Bassclar seems awesome but maybe a bit too much ever for an advanced amateur group. I'll have to listen again and think on it.
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Author: Ebclarinet1
Date: 2019-09-23 04:10
cfarrell,
The band parts aren't nearly as bad although you need strong piccolo, oboe and clarinet section as they cover the other solo plus tutti parts.
The bass solo is a bear though. Took me several months to master it. The cadenzas are VERY cool thuogh.
Eefer guy
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