The Austrian clarinettist and composer Alfred Uhl (1909-92), born and trained in Vienna, has gained an international reputation for his film music scores, orchestral and chamber music works. His works move in a tonal framework, combining a differentiated rhythm and catchy melody. Thus, Uhl developed his own personal humorous style which he also realized in his studies. His study cycle is a standard work of teaching literature for clarinet. Almost every aspect of clarinet playing technique is .covered in Uhl's study work. Apart from the technical educational goal, the musical content gets its fair share too: each study work is a little character piece which helps the clarinettist to effectively express his musical imagination independently of technical obstacles. A new edition in one volume with practising tips by Prof. Reiner Wehle.

When the clarinet method was revised and newly published, the Daily Exercises, which were originally a part of the Clarinet Method Op. 63 by Carl Baermann, were published as a separate edition. The essential improvement consists in the arrangement of the individual exercises, which simplifies their use in teaching practice. As with the two volumes of the Clarinet Method, the musical text is based on the first edition of the method, and only few differences concerning articulation as well as several misprints and typographical errors were revised. By deleting the historical fingering instructions for the German fingering system, the clarinet method not only has a clean and, compared to the original, more clearly structured layout, but can also be used universally. By adding exercises with fourths, fifths, sevenths and octaves, the Daily Exercises contain everything that is necessary for the thorough technical education of a clarinettist and thus are an independent volume that can be used either as a supplement to the Baermann method or totally independently of it.

Thanks to the revision by Robert Erdt, the result is a textbook that is oriented towards the original as regards content and, at the same time, has been adjusted to the current times with regard to language, education and instrumental technique so that this clarinet method by Carl Baermann can maintain its position in modern clarinet lessons as important educational literature for the classical clarinet.

Jorg Widmann, an internationally sought-after soloist and professor of clarinet at the Freiburg Musikhochschule, displays the exquisite refinement of contemporary clarinet sound in 'Funf Bruchstucke' (already published) for clarinet and piano (KLB 54) and in the present 'Fantasie' for solo clarinet. While noise, as a means of expression, is given much attention in 'Funf Bruchstucke', 'Fantasie' is largely based on the usual Romantic melodious sound, though this time with ironic side trips into dance, klezmer and jazz music, the clarinet's equivalent of light music.

'Fantasie' for solo clarinet is my first real piece for my own instrument, the clarinet. With its eccentric virtuosity and its cheerful, ironic fundamental character, it reflects the experience with Stravinsky's 3 Pieces for solo clarinet of 1919 and the tonal innovations which did not appear in music before Carl Maria von Weber's notation for the clarinet, and takes them further in a new way. It is a little imaginary scene uniting the dialogues of different people in close proximity in the spirit of the commedia dell'arte.

- Jorg Widmann

The composer Nino Rota has become famous, in particular, by his film music .to 'Godfather' (Francis Ford Coppola) and to films by Federico Fellini (La dolce vita, Otto e mezzo, Il Casanova, etc.) and Luchino Visconti (Il Gattopardo, Rocco e i suoi fratelli). But even his chamber music, concertos and stage works enjoy increasing popularity.
This work for solo clarinet comes from the incidental music of the same name of a theatre play by Ugo Betti. These variations of intermediate difficulty are perfectly suited for music lessons, competitions and concerts, as well as encore pieces.