Clarinet and Piano

SKU: ST.C129

Composed by Mark Tanner. Wind & brass music. Clifton Edition #C129. Published by Clifton Edition (ST.C129).

ISBN 9790570811298.

As I sit myself down to write this brief foreword, I ask myself can there be music more stirring than these old Cornish folk melodies? Though not Cornish myself (I confess to being born a little further up the road, in Bristol), I feel I have spent sufficient time in these 'ere parts to resonate with the sturdy brass band tradition that continues to permeate this incomparably beautiful, rugged county. One can almost detect a French 'accent' when listening to the piano music of Debussy, and likewise, speaking as a lapsed brass player, there is undoubtedly something of the Cornish twang about Trelawny when played on a cornet or euphonium. Then again, one gets a different, yet entirely convincing effect upon hearing these melodies rendered on woodwind instruments; hence, with a little gamesmanship on my part, I am pleased to see my collection of these fifteen delectable ditties come to fruition in the form of arrangements for treble clef brass instruments (in B flat and E flat), trombone and tuba (bass clef), horn in F, flute, clarinet and bassoon. While many will find themselves humming the likes of Going up Camborne Hill, Lamorna or The Helston Furry Dance even before they have turned to the first page - for these are indelibly intertwined with Cornish culture – I wonder if I might draw your attention to The Cornish Squire, The Pool of Pilate and Cold Blows the Wind Today Sweetheart, which are quite simply sublime melodies, perhaps needing that extra bit of help in bringing them to mind nowadays. In the best tradition of musical hand-me-downs, Cornish folk music works equally ideally sung and played, and only by doing so on a regular basis can such traditions hope to continue forward with vigour and authority. A legitimate way of achieving this is to revitalise the harmonic scheme of these ancient tunes and bring them up to date for a modern audience; after all, it was such an approach that fuelled the imagination of Benjamin Britten and Ralph Vaughan Williams in decades past, while skilfully paying homage to the underlying charm and, for want of a better word, simplicity, of the original music. But this is only a start – for without an energetic response from younger generations, Cornish folk music is destined to wither on the vine in much the same way as is happening with the Cornish dialect. So, put your instrument to your lips and proceed, not with caution, but with enthusiasm and a smile, for your great grandparents (and perhaps even their grandparents) would surely raise a glass if they could hear you doing your bit to ensure the survival of this splendid heritage.
Timeless Cornish melodies, cooked up for hungry clarinet players
Grades 1–4
Former Spartan Press Cat. No.: SP1218.

Clarinet in A and Piano Clarinet in A; Piano Accompaniment (Clarinet/Piano)

SKU: HL.48025142

Denk ich an Deutschland in der Nacht... Clarinet in A and Piano. Composed by Martin Christoph Redel. Boosey & Hawkes Chamber Music. Classical. Softcover. 16 pages. Bote & Bock #M202537015. Published by Bote & Bock (HL.48025142).

UPC: 196288096016.

Hopes and worries in the face of a social situation in Germany that the composer found disturbing find expression in this character piece in the Schumann tradition. Past and present enter into dialogue. The text quotation from Heine in the subtitle corresponds to the musical Schubert quotation at the end. The variative figures are reminiscent of a passacaglia. A diabolical dance in the middle section is framed by two parts based on the same material and illustrating nocturnal calm. The work is available as a recording with Felix Brucklacher, clarinet, and Hiroko Arimoto, piano, on the portrait CD released in 2022 on the Genuin Classics label (GEN 22760) on the occasion of the composer's 75th birthday.

By Jeff Smallman. For Clarinet and Keyboard. Solo; Woodwind - B-Flat Clarinet Solo. Contemporary. Part(s). Duration 00:04:05

Clarinet and piano

SKU: P2.30110

Composed by Nick DiBerardino. Solo music, 20th century. Published by Potenza Music (P2.30110).

Nick DiBerardino says, Madison Avenue is a work full of whimsy, bustle and effervescent energy. Composed with New York City's famous Madison Avenue in mind, this piece attempts to capture the action of New York's busy streets, the mass of its towering buildings and the thrill - and occasional anxiety - of participating in its frenetic rituals. Madison Avenue's celebrated advertising history plays a role here, as well; I like to think you can hear somewhere in the work the furious typing of secretaries or the insistence of a hard sell. Above all, this is a playful piece, a romp and a gallop, a miniature rhapsody infused with the spirit and drive of the city. In it, I hope you hear an unbridled enthusiasm and an unyielding optimism, both marked on the music by the persistent energy of the human spirit..