Clarinet and Piano

I wrote this strange atonal piece back in 2004. Tell me what you think of it. I have also written a general summarization and analogy of this piece as listed below:

"Untitled" for Piano and Clarinet

An Analogy of the Piece by the Composer

This piece is perhaps the most eccentric piece I have written. I started this back sometime in 2004 and I recently polished it up in 2006. I was inspired by an Indian composer by the name of Schulmit Ran, and she wrote a piece for Cello and Clarinet entitled "Private Game." When I listened to the recording of it, I fell in love with it; it inspired me to create a clarinet piece, which is when this piece was born. The piece requires an excellent, perhaps even a virtuoso clarinetist, and it is really no picnic for the pianist either. The clarinet must endure some difficult rhythmic passages, some fast runs and even a couple of cadenza's, one of which requires improvisation. The clarinetist must do fast tonguing, and speedy octave jumps at some points. The pianist must endure some strange chords and tone-clusters, and very confusing and strange passages. The performers must take careful consideration of meter and time changes that occur very frequently throughout this piece. The pianist does serve as the accompanist, yet that is not the piano’s main purpose in this piece. The piano is originally intended to, in a way, “fill in the blanks” that the clarinet leaves blank, and the pianist and clarinetist work together.

The form of this piece is, simply put, A, B, C, D, B, E, A, C, F, B, and “Coda.” That is the “basic” form and outline of this work, but the sections tend to be somewhat different and at times, interwoven with each other. So, we will go through it then. It starts off with a “Humoresque-like” style, it being somewhat light and bouncy. The main theme in the beginning section is played by the clarinet as an augmented C chord that runs down. Then we slow down and we get to measure 11, and move on to the next section. It is a gentle section, as the expression indicates, and the clarinet plays a melody as the piano supports the melody with a series of open 5th chords. The clarinet plays two 6/8 measures and the pianist steps up with a little fill in the 7/8 measure. This is repeated again, with it a half-step higher and the piano 7/8 fill a little different than before. The clarinet then has its first cadenza between the section B and C. After the cadenza is completed, we move on to a faster C section (sounds a bit like surgery, doesn’t it?) as the piano starts it out slowly and accelerates to 100 beats per minute. 4 measures of that happens, we have a little reoccurrence of the beginning for 2 measures as that is followed by a little 5/8 ditty over into 2 more different measures leading into section D. In section D, the piano begins with a loud, percussive, ostinato, and the clarinet sneaks in a few little phrases as the piano continues its ostinato. After a series of many things done between the clarinet and piano, we get lead back into section B. Section B plays through and we then have a new section, section E. The clarinet plays a soft and distinctive melody as the piano plays thick chords. With practice, the chords are playable, yet may take a while to distinguish at first. We go through 11 measures of this, and we abruptly and suddenly go back into part of the beginning section, for about 5 measures, and it weaves into section C again for 2 measures. We then see something that is never seen previously before as we go into the F section of this piece. When we hit measure 80, we have a new, eccentric melody with a bouncy accompaniment with a couple of surprises in the section. After a few measures, we then get back into the B section again of this which as we can see reoccurs quite frequently throughout the piece. After that, we go into the “Coda” or ending, as we again have a reoccurrence of the C section and we abruptly stop with a fermata held rest. The clarinet then plays its improvisation cadenza for 15 to 20 seconds as it ends on a basic, C major chord, and we end the piece.

This piece was basically my first venture into modern, contemporary, avant-garde world of music. It is the very first atonal piece I’ve written. It is a very strange piece, and I tend to look at it as a way of seeing what is possible with musical form and structure. The structure is quite odd and not completely conceivable in a few ways. The piece basically relies mainly on C-whole tone but not entirely. The piece was originally the first movement of something that was to be a suite for clarinet and piano, but I believe this works better as a single piece of music. Ever since I wrote this piece, I have had a great obsession and fascination with modern music. I hope you enjoy this piece.

Clairnet and Piano Truley Atonal.MUS

I wish to revive my thread so it may become visible again. Nobody has replied so that is why I'm doing so.

Any chance of posting a score please?

Ryan, The MUS file IS a score for Finale. You can downalod NotePAd (for free) and see the score, as well as play it!

madbass: Good thing that you bumped the thread!

Well done mate! This is a highly enjoyable piece (that I believe that QC will enjoy as well). It's not really atonal, by any means. Not when you start with normal chords in the right hand of the piano.

Still every different section is very well thought out! Extremely well made! The sounds is very good as well, even from Finale!

There are some tiny issues in the score (like for example the 4/16, do bar them in 1 bar), and some other minor details which I don't have time right now to mention.

I'm looking forward to listening more music by you mate. :) Well done! And thanks for sharing!

Still it was a very, very enjoyable 5-6 minutes!

It is exotic, YES.

I like it. A lot.

Just some observations: the piano part from measures 28-35 has a silence in the right hand (every two measures) that to me feels annoying, mainly because of the rhytmic sensation you had achieved here. I think that silence disturbs this achievement.

The form of the piece feels good, though I think the theme A could be more variated at every time it appears again. Considering the atonalism seems very free through the piece, maybe an harmonic variation? A surprise? Some growl on the clarinet? Anyway...

The ending chord sounded a bit, ehem, too "exotic" into the work's context. Everyone was expecting for another chord I'm sure, and to give a surprise is always welcome, but maybe I would use another stuff.

However, I loved the work, and certainly it can get even better.

Congrats Nikolas!

Congrats Nikolas!

Thanks!

:)

Why? I didn't write the piece. Just advertised it :D

:whistling: Thats why I didn't understand what was doing that composer's name in the score instead of yours!!! Hehehe...

Indeed this would have been too exotic for what I've listened by you.

Well, thank you all very much. The comments are highly appreciated.

It is really good and certainly very...exotic.

I expected a little more excitement at the end, but that's just me. :P

Very, very good, though. Can't wait to hear more!

Wow! Excellent! I am in awe!

As Nikolas said, this is hardly atonal, even though it has its...moments!

Every part was excellent and very enjoyable!

Heh, is there a live recording in store???

4 thumbs up!