The Clarinet and Piano
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REVIEWS The explanations are succinct without CLARINET AND PIANO BOOKS sacrificing depth of understanding. The Brian Balmages. Dream Sonatina for Kornel Wolak. Articulation Types for pictures highlighting each muscle group are well presented and clear, and the clarinet and piano. Potenza Music, Clarinet. Music Mind Inc., 2017. 54 2015. Duration 10’30” $24.95 pp. PDF e-book $14.99, hard copy bibliography of materials for additional $19.99 study compliments his explanations nicely. American composer Brian Balmages I found this part of the book particularly (b. 1975) has written numerous works helpful. It directs the student to additional for wind and brass instruments. Dream exercises and methods that will help refine Sonatina was composed for clarinetist the technique in question. Articulation Marguerite Levin and premiered by Types for Clarinet is an excellent primer her in Weill Recital Hall, New York and first step in the understanding and City. Balmages fulfilled the specifics of application of the various available the commission by composing a work reflecting life in his 30s. For Balmages articulations. It was an enjoyable read, this centered on the birth of his two and I recommend it to anyone looking to children and three types of dreams they present articulation concepts to students experienced: daydreams, sweet dreams in a fresh and novel way. and bad dreams. The dreams are each Kornel Wolak’s book Articulation Types – Osiris Molina portrayed in a separate movement. for Clarinet is an extension of his work for The music is well-written, convincing Music Mind Inc. and his graduate research and of medium-hard difficulty, and it uses at the University of Toronto. This book, MUSIC a fluidly mixed language of classical and presented similarly to an owner’s manual pop music. There is good musical and for a car, is a 54-page text familiarizing BASS CLARINET emotional contrast between movements the reader with the myriad permutations and enough difficulty to be engaging for of articulations on the clarinet. It is Juan de Dios López-Maya. The Stick the performers. written as a quick-hit reference for and the Mask for unaccompanied bass – Gregory Barrett clarinet instructors and performers and clarinet. Cayambis, 2017. Duration briefly describes the physical processes by 5’30” $18.90 Ivan Boumans. Sea Episodes for B-flat which different types of articulations are Juan de Dios López-Maya (b. 1962) is clarinet and piano. Gérard Billaudot produced. For each type of articulation, a Venezuelan composer and musicologist. Éditeur, 2011. Duration: 5’ €7.54 a diagram of the inner workings of the His medium-difficulty four-movement Born in Madrid in 1983, Ivan mouth and tongue shows the exact areas work The Stick and the Mask can be played Boumans spent his childhood in Valverde of the body necessary to execute the on a bass clarinet without extended low del Jucar, Spain. He began his early specific articulation. Wolak includes range. The upper range is modest too, music study in 1993 at the Conservatory descriptions of other writings and/or only reaching to clarion A. The four short of Cuenca. A year later he entered the exercises to practice these articulations. movements portray in music the grisly Conservatory of Luxembourg where he Wolak, assistant professor at Queen’s plot of a novel by José Manuel Briceño studied piano, clarinet, composition, University in Ontario, Canada, presented Guerrero. Full of mixed meter and short conducting and a myriad of other music a lecture of this material at the 2017 subjects. He later enrolled in the Paris repeated motifs, the music is often dance- ClarinetFest® in Orlando, and it was Conservatory where he received a Master like and includes a few measures with slap one of the most talked-about sessions at Diploma in music composition in 2011. tongue, key clicks and flutter tongue. the conference. His book sold out after His catalog of works contains more than the presentation, and for good reason. – Gregory Barrett 100 pieces of various genres including 2 | THE CLARINET SEPTEMBER 2018 REVIEWS chamber music works, film music and by Guy Dangain. Gérard Billaudot beloved song is set entirely in the B-flat symphonic pieces. He currently teaches at Éditeur, 2013. Duration: 4’ €6.75 clarinet’s chalumeau register. the Conservatory of Luxembourg where This most famous and delicate Fauré’s Sicilienne is familiar from his he combines composition and conducting nocturne by Chopin is presented by Guy orchestral suite Pelléas et Mélisande and with other projects. Dangain in the original key of E-flat from its many arrangements. This version, Sea Episodes is a short, descriptive piece major – a friendly key for the clarinet. set in A minor for the clarinet, favors the which has four subtitles indicated by the The melody is unaltered but for several chalumeau register and rises above the composer. It begins with “The Sailor’s instances of octave transposition and a treble staff only once. Correct the first Farewell,” a lilting tune in 6/8 time in the slight shortening of the repeated trill-like note in measure 15 to B flat. key of C minor (concert pitch). The next measure at the end. In this medium- – Gregory Barrett section is “Mermaid’s Song” and it begins difficulty work, Dangain has specified with a brief section marked Liberamente. rhythmic groupings for several of the Jesús de Monasterio. Adiós a la Alhambra. The composer states that articulations and melismatic measures in Chopin’s original. Bassus Ediciones Musicales, 2015. tempo are to be chosen by the performer. $19.50 The piano part consists mostly of tremolos. – Gregory Barrett A new theme marked Andante continues Are you suffering withdrawal Claude Debussy. Valse Romantique. with the piano echoing the phrases of the symptoms from ClarinetFest® 2018 – Transcription for clarinet and piano by clarinet. This is followed by a much faster Ostend, Belgium? If so, in a roundabout Zoltán Kocsis. Editio Musica Budapest, section, “Storm.” Dotted rhythms provide way, this work by the Spanish composer 2016. Distributed in North America by intensity and loud, accented quarter notes and violinist Jesús de Monasterio (1836- Hal Leonard. $14.95 appear in both parts. The clarinet emulates 1903), may be the antidote. You see, de a strong wind with chromatic lines Hungarian pianist and conductor Monasterio studied at the conservatory in ascending and descending while the piano Zoltán Kocsis (1952-2016) recorded Brussels from 1852-1854 and was even supplies much of the energy underneath. Debussy’s Valse Romantique (1890) and offered a professorship there in 1870. None of this lasts very long – less than a shared his advocacy of this work for He wrote Adiós a la Alhambra (1855) minute – and the storm calms with the clarinetists with this transcription. The for violin and piano but we know from a onset of softer dynamics and flowing idiomatic medium-easy clarinet part is Madrid newspaper account that clarinet- triplets in the piano. The piece concludes scored for B-flat clarinet, playing in the phenom Antonio Romero performed the with “Return Home,” a rather brief ending sounding keys of F minor and F major. work on clarinet in 1873 at a concert where of five measures. Most of the piece is – Gregory Barrett de Monasterio also performed. In fact, they tonal, but there are dissonant chords in played the Beethoven Septet together. the piano part. Edward Elgar. Salut d’amour, Op. 12. For Bassus Ediciones Musicales, This piece is listed in the “Collection Transcription for A clarinet and piano clarinetist Pedro Rubio and pianist Ana Éric Perrier.” The composer indicates by Graham Bastable. International Benavides have given us an immensely that this is Opus 66. It is not difficult, Music Company, 2017. $9.50 enjoyable version for clarinet (in either and perhaps could be performed by an B-flat or A) and piano. This nostalgic, 6/8 This evergreen dedication of love from Andantino/Allegretto ABA-form single- intermediate student. Elgar to his future spouse Caroline Alice movement work with introduction and – Robert Chesebro Roberts has been transcribed for A clarinet and piano maintaining the original key of concluding cadenza is sweepingly tuneful. Frank Bridge. Serenade. Arranged E major. Medium-easy difficulty except for The melodies are embellished with for clarinet and piano by Russell the four measure pianissimo altissimo G in grace notes and trills and the harmony Denwood. Emerson Edition, 2011. the clarinet in the concluding phrase. This poignantly alternates between minor and Duration: 2’40” £6.00 could be altered for ease of performance. major. Highly recommended. Frank Bridge (1879-1941) – English – Gregory Barrett – Gregory Barrett composer, conductor, violist and teacher of composition prodigy Benjamin Britten – Gabriel Fauré. Après un rêve, Op. 7, No. José Manuel Fernandez Perez. Evocazione composed this lovely, clear-lined work for 1. International Music Company, Barocca for A-flat piccolo (or E-flat violin or cello and piano. The music is 2017. Transcription for clarinet and piccolo) clarinet and piano. Eufonia, technically very easy, the sentiment sincere piano by Graham Bastable. $8.95 2018. €14.50 and the harmony enchanting. The last The A-flat piccolo clarinet is quite an seven measures are an abrupt presto that _____. Sicilienne, Op. 78. International unusual and demanding small clarinet to brings our reverie back to reality. Music Company, 2017. Transcription handle due to its harsh, sharp and piercing for clarinet and piano by Graham – Gregory Barrett tone, just like the other very seldom-used Bastable. $12.25 piccolo clarinets in C, B-flat, F and G Frédéric Chopin. Nocturne No. 2, Op. 9. Dreaming of Fauré? This arrangement (for Schrammelmusik in the Viennese Transcription for clarinet and piano of Après un rêve will fulfill your desire.