Quartet (for Eb, Bb, Bass & Contrabass Clarinets)

This is my first composition finished in 2007. It's a short piece for 4 type of clarinets (namely: Eb, Bb, Bass and Contrabass) and this is my first try with minimalism (but they are mainly just effects from minimalism). This is my op. 7 on SibeliusMusic: Quartet (for Eb, Bb, Bass & Contrabass Clarinets), op. 7

Originally, it started as a piano piece, but it turned so complex, that it needed more instruments. There was a comission on SibeliusMusic for this instrumentation, so I transcribed it and wrote the other movements.

It's a relative short piece - my shortest, I think.

Quartet.mid

Quartet.sib

Quartet-transp.sib

Quartet.pdf

Quartet-transp.pdf

Greets again,

that's a beautiful piece you've got there (pun not intended). Nice minimalistic textures. I especially liked the adagio part!

The score is in desperate need of attention. Also...transposition????

There are definitely some major points that you need to fix.

1. A concert score is not acceptable in this case, use a transposed score instead... these are all transposing instruments.

2. Either change the key up a half step, or drop it down a half step. You are asking for trouble with the key your are in. Clarinets do not do well in remote keys.

3. There is very little indication of phrasing, this is unacceptable for winds. Slurs, staccato, etc. must be included. This piece cannot be all tongued - that's not idiomatic for the clarinet at all! Nor can players go measures at a time with no obvious places to breathe.

4. Beam the 16th note pattern (example: m1, contrabass clarinet). It is not readable as is. Use staccato 8th notes instead of single 16ths where appropriate. Measure 1 for the Contrabass Clarinet would optimally look like this -

beat 1: Staccato 8th note, 16th rest, 16th note

beat 2: 8th rest, staccato 8th note

beat 3: 16th rest, 16th note, 8th rest

beat 4: staccato 8th note, staccato 8th note

Simply changing the look of this makes this a thousand times easier to read. This goes for all parts that have that 16th note pattern.

5. Measure 5, Eb Clarinet part is very high and soft, and thus is very difficult. I understand the effect you are going for, just keep in mind it may not come out the way you like it because it is very difficult to play soft, high, and short in the altissimo range of the Eb Clarinet.

6. Measure 13, the concert D4 on beat 4 is out of range for the Contrabass Clarinet. The upper range of a Contrabass Clarinet is much more difficult than even the Bass Clarinet. I would never (with few exceptions, really) write higher than a written C6 (sounding Bb3, a major third lower than the D you have written), and certainly not in a highly active passage like you have written. I am a Clarinetist and have a lot of experience with each of these clarinets, so please trust me on this issue.

7. Similarly, measure 24 beat 4 to measure 25 beat 1 is also out of range for the Contrabass Clarinet. I would drop it an octave for that run only. Beats 3-4, however, should be okay.

8. Measure 19, Bb Clarinet, why the Fb instead of an E-natural?

9. Please check your score for collisions; a professional-looking score gives players confidence and makes it more likely that they will want to play your piece.

Keep writing, it's nice to see challenging works for clarinets!

Good job :-)

Hi!

1. As for transposing, the parts are transposed, I tought that's enough. Of course transposing is not a big problem if somebody is using a computer sheet-music program...

3. I didn't write any phrasing - I wanted to create the same effect as detas

I've made the changes - please check the attachments in the first post.

Better.

I would transpose the entire piece up a semitone due to it being in an awkward key for clarinets.

You still do not have any phrase markings. These are not string instruments; the players will become tired very quickly if everything is tongued, and it won't sound good.

You actually made the rhythm more complicated - you're hiding the obvious beat structure. Please see this picture for how it should look.

I know I have hidden the beat structure, but the notes should be the same length. That's why I have written only 16ths. Anyway, I will think after a correct solution. (Maybe I'll mark that a staccatoed 8th is same length as a 16th.)

As for phrase marking, I'm working on it. But I think it can be leaved to the performer, or not?

(Maybe I'll mark that a staccatoed 8th is same length as a 16th.)

There is no need for you to clutter your score with useless indications.

A staccato 8th IS equal to a 16th note. There is no need to include a text-note to point out the obvious.

In a moderate to fast tempo, this is a standard. With contemporary music it is a given. A staccato marking halves the duration of a note. Unless you are using multiple types of staccato markings in your score, there is no need to add an indication to this effect.

Looks challenging! I play Eb clarinet and Bb clarinet. You need a very good mouthpiece and reed to play soft staccato's that high. I think it's impossible to make it as soft as a keyboard can do.

Contrabassclarinets are very rare. In the Netherlands I heard there are less than 10 who have one and play on it.

The usual clarinet quartet is:

1. Eb or Bb

2. Bb

3. Bb or Eb alto (I have one in my quartet, but is quite rare also)

4. Bass clarinet in Bb

I agree with everything everyone has said. The Eb part, John Bruce Yeh would even have trouble playing that (Chicago Symphony Eb Clarinet) and he's amazing on E-fer. I play Eb at my university and it's very hard to even play that high or even tune those notes. In a performance you'll probably lose the effect you're looking for with those notes in those sections.

I feel the piece is uncharactaristic to this kind of ensamble, and you will not get the effect you are going for. This might work better as a piece for two piano's.