James Madison University Ensemble Auditions - Fall 2019

Clarinet

Dear JMU Clarinetists,

Enclosed please find the music for Fall 2019 Ensemble Auditions. As usual, this audition will determine your placement in the JMU Bands and Orchestras. Clarinet auditions are tentatively scheduled for Sunday, August 25th, at 2:30-4:30pm, room 1115. Auditions will be behind the screen, “blind.”

It is essential that listening to all excerpts (audio or video of full orchestra/wind ensemble) becomes a part of your preparation. Please carefully study all terms, tempi, rhythms, articulations, dynamics and phrasing, in addition to practicing technical and expressive aspects. Please remember that practicing fundamentals (tone color, stability, intonation, clarity of response, scales, endurance, etc.) and applying them to excerpts is crucial for your best playing quality. A study guide is attached at the end of the document.

If you do not own A clarinet, please play all excerpts on B-flat clarinet, even if indicated “In A.” **You DO NOT have to TRANPOSE the parts.** If you have an A clarinet available, please play excerpts designated for A clarinet on this instrument.

List of excerpts: 1. Berlioz – Symphony Fantastique 2. Sousa – “Transit of Venus” March 3. Dahl – Sinfonietta for Band 4-5. Prokofiev – Cinderella (ballet) 6. Prokofiev – Peter and the Wolf 7. Verdi – La forza del destino Overture

Also, this year we will have separate bass clarinet auditions immediately after clarinet. This is a fully optional opportunity for students wishing to compete for bass clarinet spots. Audition materials are listed in a separate page below.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions regarding the materials. Best of luck in your preparation and audition. Ensemble directors and I are looking forward to hearing you!

Sincerely,

Dr. Sarunas Jankauskas Assistant Professor of Clarinet James Madison University jankausx@jmu.edu

1. Berlioz – Symphonie fantastique, mvt. III, solo, in Bb.

2. Sousa – “Transit of Venus” March. Beg. to 39. No repeats, in Bb.

3. Dahl – Sinfonietta, P to 1 after R. In B-flat

4. Prokofiev – Cinderella, Act I No. 13: The Summer Fairy, Andantino sognando. In B- flat.

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B-natural, C-natural, C-sharp, C-natural, and B-natural, confining them all to the upper octave.

He sustains the notes for four counts each with the exception of the final C-natural. “That's all

that's going on in terms of the thematic motion of notes. But this occurs through the octave. It's

just a really lovely part.” The magic of the part is noted by Wrzesien who says, “I think...71 is

probably the most enchanting moment in the entire ballet. I shape a four bar phrase here with a

big tenuto mark on the downbeat C three bars after...71.” Manasse shapes this in a similar way

because he recognizes the larger hemiola at Figure 71.

Figure 86, Cinderella Act I No. 13 The Summer Fairy, Andantino sognando, Clarinet in B-flat

This solo begins with a dream-like decorative passage followed by long sustained tones in the

chalumeau register. Manasse says to think of these flourishes in the locrian mode. He takes a

little bit of time at Figure 90 by slightly holding out the written high F-sharp. Manasse says, “It

has to sound non-technical. It looks panicky on paper. Anchor a bit on the G-sharp in the second

measure of Figure 90. This solo ends on a low G-sharp, making this solo firmly rooted in the

locrian mode.” Manasse anchors on the second and third beats of the second measure after

Figure 90 whereas Christie anchors on the third and fourth beats of the same measure. Manasse

says, “Sub-divide 8th-notes and listen to the bassoon before-hand to get a very clear pulse.”

Manasse demonstrates by practicing quietly and methodically on the clarinet, just barely creating

a real sound on the clarinet, almost as if whispering. Then he plays it through with a beautiful

5. Prokofiev – Cinderella, Act II No. 30: Grand Waltz, Allegretto. In B- flat. Please skip rests.

6. Prokofiev – Peter and the Wolf, solo at 20-21. In A.

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ingenious...” He says to think like a dancer in terms of having the discipline and strength to

sustain, “...a posture and a poise and doing it with utter commitment to form.” Christie suggests

highlighting the motion of written F, D, and B-flat on the third and fourth beats in the second

complete measure and the downbeat of the third complete measure. Christie sings the phrase and

shows the direction of the phrase culminating in dynamic and expression in the third beat in the

second complete measure. “It's such a simple melody. Turn off your ego and just let it be for the

dancers.”

Figure 90, Cinderella Act II No. 30 Grand Waltz, Allegretto, Fig. 218 – Fig. 223, Clarinet in B-flat

This solo needs to flow ahead despite the many obstacles of having to play throughout many

registers. Christie says, “This is surely one of the most fun waltzes to play. In the theme you

have to be quite prominent with that piano marking.” Manasse says, “The tenuto shows the lilt.

There's more of a lilt in the shorter slurred groups than the longer ones.” In other words, the

longer the slur is, the less of a lilt. Manasse stretches the three pick-up 8th-notes into Figure 222

but not the first time at Figure 218. Hartman says to make a considerable legato between the

written Gs in the pick up to three measures before the end. Christie encourages the second

clarinetist to play out in order to support the principal clarinetist's phrase and sound.

7. Verdi – La forza del destino Overture. F to J. In B-flat. Please skip rests.

BASS CLARINET (optional)

1. Please play the chromatic scale, up and down, at your selected range and tempo. Two times: first, legato (slurred) and then staccato.

2. Khachaturian – Piano Concerto, 2nd mvt., Andante con anima.

3. Shostakovich – Violin Concerto, 2nd mvt., Scherzo: Allegro.

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KHACHATURIAN Piano Concerto Bass clarinet in B flat Second movement Excerpt 1 Andante con anima Excerpt 2 [same tempo]

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Example B.4: Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor op. 77 rehearsal 23-25

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Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, op. 77 by Dmitri Shostakovich

Copyright 1956 (Renewed) by G. Schirmer, INC. (ASCAP)

International Copyright Secured. All Rightes Reserved

Reprinted by Permission

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1906-1975

Transcribed by Connor O'Meara

Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor op. 77

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STUDY GUIDE Berlioz. Play first 4 measures with a full and rich tone, then “echo” as soft as possible. In m.7 do not play forte (poco f does not mean loud…), but start slowly building the dynamics until the high D. Show accents and sforzandi not as hits, but more as leaning points on the entire note length. Keep tempo steady and not rushed, subdivide by 16th notes. Do not play dotted rhythms as triplets. Staccato should not be too short in the last full measure. Shape each gesture on a small scale, show where you are going. Sousa. Strict and confident, with clear dynamics. Crisp articulation, with immediate response. FF = loud, p = soft, with convincing contrast. Produce the line, not only vertical rhythmic motion. Practice with triplet subdivision. Listen to intonation in high notes. Dahl. Success in this one is only possible if you start working on it slowly, in short sections, and during the course of several weeks increase the tempo once you know the text really well. There should be no short staccato. Subdivide, make sure to come off long notes in time. Everything is ff, but shaping is welcome where possible. Aim to minimize breaths that are not on rests; breath at 4 before R after the high F is fine. Practice articulation by singing/scatting without clarinet for precision. Metronome work is crucial here, of course. Cinderella I. Please play this at your comfortable tempo. Clarity will be valued over speed. Aim to apply scale knowledge. Practice bits: first note of each beamed figure until the next first; 6 or 7 notes at a time. Cinderella II. Listen to recordings how players/orchestras use rubato in this case. Try not to accent downbeats, but do not decay much on them. Work on seamless legato between registers. Avoid playing this too fast. The cat jumping on a tree (if you are not aware of the reference here, you should find out). First 4 measures with pickup: simply make sure you are playing all the right notes; short 8th notes. The run: practice 3-4 note groups, relentlessly; work by making rhythm uneven, putting emphasis on different triplet notes; lack of consistent, minimally changed voicing creates more issues here rather than finger work. Be aware of the key signature. Grace notes: work out each group separately before connecting them, choose most comfortable fingerings; keep embouchure firm and tongue well each first note, play out. There should be a speed up here. After the high note, there is a sudden drop in volume, but keep the speed of air for good response and legato. Keep tone focused for intonation. Character should be one with humor and storytelling. Verdi. The first short phrase is a mini-solo cadenza, with rubato. At G it is best to feel the phrase as in two/cut-time, always leading towards each 4th downbeat. Volume should be solo p, not too soft. Build a bit from the third phrase onwards. Show accents with subtlety, taper ends of phrases. Letter I: full, strict, with strong rhythmic integrity. It helps to have metronome at 16th-note subdivision. Long tones in various registers and dynamics, scales, articulation patterns, metronome, tuner, recording device should be your good friends during this preparation. BASS: Khachaturian: focus on clean attacks, good legato, even tone and shaping. On G-B grace notes, keep right hand down, or use alternate/side trill key fingerings for each B. Slow down and dim. in the end. Shostakovich: play only as fast as you can, full volume, clean short staccato. Practice bit by bit.