SUNY Fredonia Ensemble Audition Music (Clarinet) Spring 2017 Selections from: Milhaud La création du monde, op. 81 Brahms Symphony No. 3 in F, mvt. 2 (Andante) Ticheli - Postcard Ibert Trois Pièce Brèves, mvt. 3 (Assez lent. Allegro scherzando) Halvorsen Entry March of the Boyars Shostakovich Symphony No. 9, mvt. 3 (Presto) Bass Clarinet (optional) Mozart Bassoon Concerto, K. 191 mvt. 2 (Andante ma adagio) Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue Suggestions: Target tempi are provided for each excerpt, but they are only targets. Do not attempt to play these excerpts at a speed that your fingers/tongue/brain are not prepared to play at! Some of these excerpts are not explicit about phrasing and dynamics. The lack of expression markings does not mean that you should play without expression. Remember the three most important things about ensemble auditions: 1) Rhythm 2) Rhythm 3) Rhythm But don t forget to consider additional aspects of your playing: things like tone, technique, articulation, phrasing, etc. The bass clarinet excerpts are provided for those who are interested in demonstrating their abilities for consideration in ensemble placement. Playing the excerpts does not guarantee a bass clarinet placement. Likewise, not playing the excerpts does not mean that you won t play bass clarinet. (Bass clarinet students if you re not playing soprano clarinet, prepare ALL the excerpts on bass.)
Milhaud La création du monde, op. 81 Tempo is as marked HALF (not quarter) note = 108. Recording via Naxos: 0094634580953 (Track 1, 10:51). This is music from the same time as Gershwin s Rhapsody in Blue, and the jazz rhythms are quite purposeful. Please consider the style and inflection appropriate of this type of music. As with most orchestral solos, take the piano with a grain of salt, and make beautiful tone and phrasing your primary goal.
Brahms Symphony No. 3 in F, mvt. 2 (Andante) Target tempo is quarter note = 76ish. Consider how to best articulate under the slurs, and how closely the articulation in m. 3 should match (or not?) the articulation in m. 11. Reference many recordings. This excerpt is at the very beginning of the movement. We ll be listening for phrasing, intonation and of course rhythm. Ticheli Postcard Target tempo is as marked, but don t play faster than you re able to. The style is light, fleet, and elegant. Short eighth notes, accents that pop, etc. When you feel great about this, enjoy the fact that it s a palindrome. This excerpt is an octave transposition of the clarinet solo that starts the piece. Recording via Naxos: 2744-MCD (Track 7, right at the beginning)
Ibert Trois Pièce Brèves, mvt. 3 Target tempo is quarter note = 108-120. Take the initial piano indication with a big grain of salt. This should be joyous and spirited. There are easy solutions for the trills. Recording via Naxos: BIS-CD-536 (Track 3, 1:44) Halvorsen Entry March of the Boyars Target tempo is as marked: quarter note = 100. (This is not a fast march ) Plan to stop just before the pickup to rehearsal B. If you think we re interested in articulation, you re right! But also, consider style and phrasing. Recording via Naxos: search 75442262152 (Track 8, right at the beginning). Transcribed and edited by Marc Oliver Tempo di Marcia q = 100 A 8 & 14 & b & 4 2 Solo Œ. r p...... #.. #.. #.. Ÿ n Ÿ.... #.. #.. #... #...... #.......... #...... #.......... #. &.. #. #.. #.. Ÿ, Tutti 3 # # p B... # #.... #. #.. #..
Shostakovich Symphony No. 9, mvt. 3 (Presto) Target tempo is dotted quarter = 108-120. CHECK THE KEY SIGNATURE! Recording via Naxos: BIS-SACD-1563 (Track 3, right at the beginning, but it s played on A clarinet )
Bass Clarinet Excerpts Mozart Bassoon Concerto, K. 191 mvt. 2 (Andante ma adagio) Target tempo is quarter note = 44ish, or smarter yet, eighth note = 88ish Reference recordings for treatments of ornamental notes. My transcription of this work is from the Urtext edition, meaning that you may hear (and choose to use) other articulations, ornaments, etc., but this is what Mozart wrote. A lack of dynamic markings from the composer doesn t mean that you shouldn t play in a dynamic fashion. Make this beautiful! & # C Andante ma adagio Tutti 6 Solo. r J J r r j J j & # 9 J # n. j Œ 11 & # & # w 14. r # J. Ÿ j J Œ #..... R R...... # 18 & # & # n # # j # J n # n # j Ÿ~~~~ 2 Œ Tutti n J J # J.. j. Ó
Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue Target tempo is as marked: HALF note = 76 Hmm To tongue or slur the triplet after 15? Do your homework. Play forte, but remember that you re not the soloist! Play a brief pause at the caesura, but don t worry about the bar of rest that follows.