Hello everyone! I'm a senior in high school and I'm starting to think more about college and my majors. Although I'm not going to be a music major, I'll be minoring in music performance for the clarinet. The college that I'm looking at requires that we prepare several etudes/solo pieces for the audition (they still haven't posted the entirety of what we need to do.) I'm just not sure of the solos that I want to do. I know for a fact that I could probably take Arnold's Sonatina to the audition. Maybe even a Weber concerto. However, I wanted to get pieces that aren't as well known. Also, I haven't been able to practice much considering its the marching season. Do any of you guys know some lesser know solo pieces for clarinet that are around the intermediate-advanced level? Thanks!
Ok, I think that going with lesser known pieces are NOT the way to go. Take something like the Arnold, (I am using Weber 2 and Premiere Rhapsody for my auditions.) and just play the crap out of it. They would rather hear a great performance of something well known (which obviously means that it is a staple of the clarinet repetiore) than something that they have never heard. A pretty standard list of good audition pieces would be as follows:
Concertos : Weber (1, 2, Concertino, Grand Duo Concertante), Mozart, Copeland, A Sphor, Also, depending on the level of the school, some lower level schools may accept the 3rd Stamitz Concerto (Intermediate at best, I sightread it pretty much perfectly...). I would stay away from things such as the Neilsen, which (Unless you are amazing) would only show that you don't really know your limits...
Sonatas : The list here is endless. Arnold Sonatina, Brahms, Saint Saens, Poulenc, Hindemith (A bit modern, but hauntingly beautiful). Any standard sonata would be fine in this spot.
Other accompanied Concert Pieces : Debussy, Premiere Rhapsody (A great piece due to it's great range in styles), Rossini, Introduction, Theme, and Variations (Difficult, but doable and impressive), Finzi, Five Bagatelles (Also on the easier side of things...), Babin, Hillindale Waltzes (See I,T + V), Luigi Bassi, Fantasy on themes from Rigoletto (If you can circular breathe, PLAY THIS!, If not, don't bother.), Weber, Variations, Messager, Solo de Concours.
Unaccompanied Pieces : I wouldn't suggest playing anything unaccompanied except for the Stravinsky 3 Unaccompanied Pieces. Perhaps the Osborne as well, but other than that, most unaccompanied pieces hold little place in the classical clarinet repetoire.
I hope this list helps. I would look at the majority of these and find what fits your range of ability best. As far as etudes go, just play from the Rose, 7 and 17 tend to be a nice contrasting set.
Thank you both for your replies! You know, I do have a few of the solos that were listed above. I'm actually working on Weber's first concerto and I have the Brahms Sonata No.2. I've even got the Rose books, and startlingly have performed the 7th etude for a judge recently and received 2nd chair in an honor band! How could I have forgotten all of these things so quickly?! By the way, this is probably one of the best, if not the best, school of music in the state. I'm trying to pick some good stuff. I'll more than likely get in, but I just want some good pieces to show them that I belong there. Thanks again for your help!
I'm looking at going to UNC-Greensboro. Their school of music is supposed to be really good even though the school itself isn't an all music school. I've heard that they're pretty picky! Shouldn't be too hard though. Thanks again.
searching...
By the way, this is probably one of the best, if not the best, school of music in the state. I'm trying to pick some good stuff. I'll more than likely get in, but I just want some good pieces to show them that I belong there. Thanks again for your help!