Swinging Bach: the greatest music - the biggest fun. A valuable study for counterpoint and fugue. It's so easy and so nice. Enjoy!

Instrumentation: Clarinet 1/2/3 in Bb, Bass Clarinet in Bb

Listen to the recording - a challenge for your ensemble. Please don't forget to review your purchase - you will help other musicians to choose the perfect arrangement for their ensemble. Thank you very much!

Very little is known about Pierre Mellarde, even an internet search comes up with virtually nothing, only that the name is probably the Nom-de-Plume of a Mr.R.Price!

The original music was written for Cello & Piano, which I assume is the Solitude A Deux in the title. However, it works beautifully as a Basset Horn solo, subtly accompanied by the Clarinet Quartet, so somewhat like solitude a cinq!!

Stephen Davies

June 2020

Alec Templeton was a blind musician very popular in England and America in the 1930's and 1940's. This nifty little piece shows his skills in composing a jazzy sound using the techniques of J. S. Bach. Benny Goodman recorded the fugue movement in 1938. Playing in a swing style, they played the piece first as written by Templeton, and then repeated with solos. It is worth listening to that performance if you want to get the swing right! It is set for clarinet quartet by John Gibson (clarinet 1,2,3, and bass with an alternate Eb alto in place of clarinet 3). The audio sample has short parts of both movements. With a little practice this could be played by advanced intermediate players. Have fun!

This arrangement includes a 3rd Bb clarinet part as an alternate for the Eb clarinet, but it is lowered an octave frequently reducing there brilliance of the high technical Eb clarinet voice. A obligato triangle part is included in the Eb clarinet part, which can be omitted, but it is so cute when retained. A woodwind quintet arrangement is also available on sheetmusicplus.com of this Christmas standard.

The theme song from Halloween ranks as one of the creepiest movie theme songs ever. It was first composed in 1978, and is still creeping people out just as strong as ever. Critics have grumbled about it being too simple, but that\\\'s what makes this piece so memorable.

Set at a time signature of 5/4 throughout, this arrangement is scored for Bb clarinets. The 4th part can be played by either a \\\"regular\\\" clarinet or a bass, or a contrabass.

It goes without saying that this piece should be played in a cold and mechanical manner. It definitely isn\\\'t a \\\"pretty\\\" piece. The lower instruments should be strong, while the upper instruments tip toe on top. If you would like to add a little more interest to the piece, an egg shaker could be played at every beat.

This will give your audience the heebie jeebies.

This piece is simple enough for musicians with intermediate skill.

Duration: 2.25 minutes

Here we have an abridged version of ?Spring? from Vivaldi?s famous ?The Four Seasons? suite, arranged for a clarinet quartet. A little challenging perhaps but instantly recognisable and enjoyable to play. Suitable for intermediate players and above - no fiendishly difficult bits - the main points to watch out for are the tempo changes at bar 28 (where the first clarinet slows the tempo before a slight accelerando) and bars 32 (rall.) and 34 (a new tempo, slightly down on the opening one, is established). These tempo markings are not obligatory and the piece can ebb and flow rubato fashion at these points, if you wish. Also, note the rallentando at the end.In a few places where long sixteenth-note passages occur, breath marks may be needed. These have been deliberately omitted to enable the players to work out what?s best for them.Enjoy yourselves!

A little 2 minute piece for clarinet quartet.