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

Par WEISSENBORN JULIUS. German bassoonist and pedagogue Julius Weissenborn is known primarily as an author and composer of method and etude books familiar to all bassoonists. However, he also composed a number of solo works, including a collection of pieces in his Opus 9, for bassoon and piano. The first two works of this opus, Arioso and Humoreske, pair so well together that they are often performed together as a single piece, something slow and lyrical, followed by something quicker and technical. And it just so turns out that with a relatively simple transposition, they are perfectly suited for the bass clarinet. In this edition, for each movement, the piano part has been transposed down a whole-stepto better accommodate the bass clarinet. German bassoonist and pedagogue Julius Weissenborn is known primarily as an author and composer of method and etude books familiar to all bassoonists. However, he also composed a number of solo works, including a collection of pieces in his Opus 9, for bassoon and piano. The first two works of this opus, Arioso and Humoreske, pair so well together that they are often performed together as a single piece, something slow and lyrical, followed by something quicker and technical. And it just so turns out that with a relatively simple transposition, they are perfectly suited for the bass clarinet. In this edition, for each movement, the piano part has been transposed down a whole-stepto better accommodate the bass clarinet./ Répertoire / Clarinette Basse et Piano