Par SAINT-SAENS CAMILLE. Camille Saint-Saëns composed this Romance, Op. 51, in 1877, originally in the key of D major for cello and piano. The form of the piece is relatively simple, opening with a lyrical melody over a repetitive and somewhat rhythmic accompaniment. The middle section modulates to the key of the flattened 6th scale degree (B-flat major), using this to arrive at the dominant chord, in which there are some pseudo cadenza-like moments. Following this, a return to the opening melody with a slightly modified accompaniment, and subsequently a brief coda. To better accommodate the bass clarinet, the entire piece has been transposed up a half-step from the original version into a morecomfortable key of E-flat major. Additionally, for much of the piece, the solo part has been lowered by an octave, as to make the piece generally more accessible to students. Should there be a desire to hear the piece more in the range of the original version, one could simply play it on a standard B-flat clarinet to achieve this effect. Though only about four minutes in length, this relatively short vignette captures much of the true essence of Saint-Saëns, not only through the harmonic progressions and accompanimental figures used, but also demonstrating his gift of turning a 'simple' melody into something extraordinary. Camille Saint-Saëns composed this Romance, Op. 51, in 1877, originally in the key of D major for cello and piano. The form of the piece is relatively simple, opening with a lyrical melody over a repetitive and somewhat rhythmic accompaniment. The middle section modulates to the key of the flattened 6th scale degree (B-flat major), using this to arrive at the dominant chord, in which there are some pseudo cadenza-like moments. Following this, a return to the opening melody with a slightly modified accompaniment, and subsequently a brief coda. To better accommodate the bass clarinet, the entire piece has been transposed up a half-step from the original version into a morecomfortable key of E-flat major. Additionally, for much of the piece, the solo part has been lowered by an octave, as to make the piece generally more accessible to students. Should there be a desire to hear the piece more in the range of the original version, one could simply play it on a standard B-flat clarinet to achieve this effect. Though only about four minutes in length, this relatively short vignette captures much of the true essence of Saint-Saëns, not only through the harmonic progressions and accompanimental figures used, but also demonstrating his gift of turning a 'simple' melody into something extraordinary./ Répertoire / Clarinette Basse et Piano

Sonata for Bass Clarinet and Piano was commissioned by virtuoso former Houston Symphony clarinetist Richard Nunemaker, and takes full advantage of his prodigious technique and the instrument's extraordinary range. Although the sonata is traditional in its structure - with three movements whose tempi are ordered as fast, slow, fast - it is highly original in its musical content.
The first movement draws upon two rather disparate sources for its material - Dizzy Gillespie's bebop standard Salt Peanut , and Frank Zappa's art-rock masterpiece Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbeque , hence the title, Salt Peanut Memorial Barbeque. The second movement uses a technique much, much older, that of the isorhythmic motet. The piano accompaniment has a talea of five rhythmic events serving a color of four pitch events. The clarinet cantillates a monody against this that is comprised primarily of the pitches not displayed in the accompaniment; hence the title Motet - Ancient Incantations. The third movement is a bebob and boogie-woogie tour-de-force for the two instruments, at once paying homage to Eric Dolphy and to one of the great songs of his era, Green Dolphin Street , and hence the title, Green Dolphy Street Boogie. / Partitions classique / Bois / Clarinette / ALEA PUBLISHING