Clarinet Solo

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ALIEN LOOP DE LOOPS for solo instrument and electronic recording by Howard J. Buss is a playful and capricious fantasy piece designed to appeal to a wide range of audiences. The title refers to both programmatic and technical elements in the composition. The composer envisioned a performer outside in an open area during an air show by an alien craft. During the opening section he/she is playing unaccompanied, but then is joined by the recording which contains sounds generated by traditional instruments as well as an "alien" voice, the spacecraft, and various electronic effects. Technically, the title refers to how the recording was made. It consists of numerous sound loops combined to form an imaginative and picturesque sonic tapestry. The publication includes the sheet music and a CD (attached to the inside of the back cover) that contains a performance track and the accompaniment track. Learn More

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For Clarinet and Piano, this is an easy version of the classic hymn "Be Thou My Vision". Learn More

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Capriccio sull’ Opera Foscari is Giuseppe Cappelli’s fantasy on themes from Giuseppe Verdi’s (1813-1901) opera I due Foscari, a three-act lyric opera set to a libretto by Franceso Maria Piave and adapted from Lord Bryon’s five-act play The Two Foscari. The first performance took place on November 3, 1844, a the Teatro Argentina in Rome.

Il due Foscari takes place in 15-th century Venice. The two Foscari are the city’s Doge, Francesco, and his son, Jacopo, who has just returned from exile for a murder he did not commit. He has been brought back to Venice to stand trial for treason, a crime for which he is also innocent. Since Venice has come under the power of the corrupt I Dieci (The Council of Ten), neither the pleas of the powerful Doge nor his wife, Lucrezia, can save him. Jacopo is found guilty and dies on the ship as it leaves to take him to exile. His father is forced to step down as Doge and, realizing that his life is almost over, falls to the ground and dies.

Opening music from Giuseppe Capelli’s Capriccio comes from the agitated string tutti of Act I, Scene 2, interspersed with cadenzas in the Eb clarinet. At measure 9, the Eb clarinet solo is a direct statement of Lucrezia’s plea to God for comfort, Ah, si confronto ai miseri! Lucrezia’s aria at bar 18, Tu pur lo sai, occurs in the Finale to Act I. Here she pleads with the Doge to do something to stop her beloved Jacopo from being condemned. His impassioned reply at bar 35, Oltre ogni umano cedere, begs her to console him in his misery for there is nothing he can do. Their duet from bar 50 concludes the andante section with Lucrezia’s role played by the E-flat clarinet and the piano contributing the voice of the Doge. Closing music to Cappelli’s Capriccio is a large choral number taken from Act III, Scene 1 where the piano is the voice of Jacopo as he bids farewell to his wife and father. The work concludes with original music by Cappelli.

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Dramatic tension permeates this work as the solitary clarinet is pitted against the potentially explosive and overpowering might of the percussion ensemble.The state of fragile coexistence between the clarinetist and the percussionists at times requires the conductor to function as a “referee” in order to preserve the dynamic balance. The most theatrical example of this occurs about midway through the composition. At this point the music builds to a deafening, chaotic fury during which the clarinetist has no chance of being heard. The director restores order by “disciplining” the percussionists with a piercing blast on a police whistle. In contrast, Coexistence contains sections of relatively low intensity with delicate coloristic shadings and intricate ensemble coordination. Timbral modulations figure prominently throughout the work. Percussion distribution: Percussion 1: Xylophone, chimes (tubular bells), orchestra bells, 4 tom toms, sizzle cymbal, tam-tam, triangle and wind chimes; Percussion 2: Vibraphone, celesta (muted orchestra bells may by substituted), triangle, tambourine, temple blocks, maracas, and snare drum; Percussion 3: 2 suspended cymbals, triangle, cow bell, snare drum, bass drum, and tam tam; Percussion 4: Marimba, timpani (1), cow bell, large tam-tam (which may be shared with players 1 and 3), ratchet, whip, hi-hat, and wind chimes.“An exquisite concert piece that will keep listeners on the edges of their seats! “ - The Clarinet.”This is recommended literature.”- Percussive Notes Learn More

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This concerto, commissioned by music teacher William T. Robinson, was originally scored for Bass Trombone and String Orchestra. This version for Bass Clarinet and Piano was done by the composer and is a three-movement work approximately nine minutes long, each movement leading directly to the next.

The first movement opens with a slow introduction based on quartal harmony. The main portion of the movement is an allegro that explores changing meters. The second movement is slow, with a mournful character. The modal harmony is centered around D minor. The third movement is in an Afro-Caribbean style. The second and third movements include cadenzas for the soloist.

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For Clarinet and Drum Set by Howard J. Buss, this was composed for Clarinetist, Dr. Allison Storochuk. It was premiered by her and percussionist Jalan Jamal on July 9, 2023 at the Westin Westminster Hotel in Denver, Colorado during ClarinetFest. Through the ages people have attributed metaphysical properties to crystals. This set of five short character pieces musically addresses aspects of the nature of the respective crystals.

I. Mischievous Pyrite “Fool’s Gold” (1’43”)
II. Deep Azurite (1’52”)
III. Faceted Amethyst (2’06”)
IV. Smoky Quartz (2’07”)
V. Snowflake Tempest (2’54”)

Total duration without pauses is approximately 11’

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unaccompanied: 1. Suspect Your Tale to be Untrue (Eb Clt) 2. To Forge a Picture (Bb Clt) 3. Scherzo - The Teashop Sort (A Clt) 4. Sigh Then, or Frown (Bb Bass) Learn More

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From the composer:

Eloquence IV for solo Eb clarinet was composed for Dr. Elizabeth Crawford in 2017 as the fourth in a series of solo works for various orchestral instruments. The style of the opening section is expressive, focusing on tone color and lyricism. The contrasting presto section is much faster with demanding technical passages. The return of the opening motif is brought back near the end with the free flowing intervallic connection, soon to be interrupted with the return of the presto.

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Giuseppe Cappelli composed Fantasia di Ruy Blas after Filippo Marchetti’s (1831-1902) opera Ruy Blas, in 1886. The opera was a four-act dramma lirico set to a libretto by Carlo d’Ormeville after Victor Hugo’s 1838 historical drama of the same name. It premiered at Teatro alla Scala, Milan, on April 3, 1869, and was Marchetti’s most notable opera. Forced into exile by Regina, the Queen of Spain (soprano) for rejecting her lady-in waiting, the wicked Don Sallustrio (baritone) plots revenge. He presents to the queen his valet, Ruy Blas (tenor), who is secretly in love with the queen, as the noble Don Cesare. Ruy Blas gains the queen’s favor and is promoted to prime minister and made a member of the Order of the Golden Fleece. When Don Sallustrio reveals to the queen that she has fallen in love with a mere servant, Ruy Blas kills Don Sallustrio in a duel and then kills himself by drinking poison, an act that earns him the forgiveness of the queen. Giuseppe Cappelli’s Fantasia di Ruy Blas begins with a dramatic opening for e-flat clarinet and piano taken from the Preludio of Marchetti’s Ruy Blas. This leads into the first andantino, the Duetto for soprano and tenor of Act 3, Scene 3, “Dietro quell’uscio.” Music in the Andante sostenuto section is lifted from Marchetti’s most famous aria of the opera (and his career)—“O dolce volutta!” Here an impassioned Ruy Blas shares his joy at the news the queen is in love with him. Though out of order from the opera, the queen’s light-hearted love song, “Che t’amo,” follows and Cappelli affords the e-flat clarinet an opportunity for embellishment of the original aria. One final lyrical passage, taken from Regina’s somber aria, “O madre mia,” of Act 2, Scene 1, concludes the fantasy before Cappelli’s energetic finale of original material.

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For Clarinet and Piano, each movement of "Five Places" evokes a different place or atmosphere. On the Mountain depicts a hazardous mountain climb. Uncertain footing, cliffs, and other unknown hazards confront the climber, but he is rewarded with an awe inspiring vista upon reaching the top. In the Deep evokes the mystery of the deep ocean, where only faint glimmers of light penetrate. This movement utilizes the lowest register of the bass clarinet and piano to suggest the murky depths and a great sea beast. In the Cathedral uses as its main theme an ancient Aquitanian monophonic versus titled Novum festum celebremus. This melody, tossed back and forth between the bass clarinet and piano, is usually accompanied by a melismatic line that recalls the florid organum of a millennium ago. Under the Stars evokes a night spent under a blanket of twinkling stars. On the Edge of a Cloud is about a ride on the edge of a fast moving cloud, with its thrills and perils. The piece is based on a 12-tone row, but the row is used freely and is often combined with minimalistic patterns that help to rhythmically propel the piece. Learn More

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Giuseppe Cappelli adapted themes from Giuseppe Verdis’ (1813-1901) opera La Traviata to create this short ‘pot-pourri’ for Eb clarinet and pinao. La traviata is a three-act lyric opera set to a libretto by Franceso Maria Piave. The opera was based upon Alexandre Dumas’ novel, La dame aux Camelias, and its first performance took place at the Gran Teatro La Fenice in Venice, on March 6, 1853.

La traviata was set in Paris in 1700 and is the story of a famous high-society prostitute named Violetta who, at the opening of the opera, has recently recovered from consumption. She falls in love with Alfredo Germont and abandons the life she has been living, but Alfredo’s father, Giorgio Germont, demands she break off the relationship for the sake of his family. With great regret Violetta agrees, but she is heartbroken. Sadly, she returns to her previous life. When she appears at a party with her former lover, Baron Douphol, Alfredo challenges her to admit that she loves the Baron. After Violetta reluctantly agrees, an enraged Alfredo denounces her and she faints in front of everyone. Soon, she becomes ill with consumption again. Alfredo rushes to her bedside, but it is too late and Violetta dies in his arms.

Giuseppe Cappelli’s pot-pourri for E-flat clarinet begins with the music from the Baccanale at the opening of Act III, a scene in which the revelry of Carnevale is contrasted with the image of Violetta dying. At the Andante (m. 49) Cappelli uses the E-flat clarinet to express Alfredo’s aria ?De? miei bollenti spiriti,? from Act II Scene 1, in which Alfredo sings of his happy life with Violetta in their country house. Music at the Allegro vivace (m. 79) comes from the orchestral tutti of Act 1 Scene 2 at the house of Violetta and is followed by an adaptation of Alfredo’s aria, O mio rimorso! from Act II Scene 3a (m. 99). Cappelli closes the work with a spirited finale of original music.

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