• Famous Clarinet Cadenzas

    The clarinet has a wide variety of repertoire written throughout its history, and the collection only continues to grow as more people write for the best instrument around. Among these works, there are many pieces with famous clarinet cadenzas, or extended solo passages to demonstrate the virtuosic ability of the player. A brief history of the cadenza At the turn of the 19th century, cadenzas were improvised by the performer and typically placed at the end of the movement to demonstrate the performer’s technical dexterity. Over time, composers began creating and writing cadenzas in their works. While some were still placed at the end of movements, this was no longer…

  • Virtual clarinet composition scavenger hunt

    This blog post originally appeared as a digital clarinet studio lecture for the Iowa State University clarinetists. Instead of our usual studio class this week, I thought I would present you with a challenge. There are thousands upon thousands of clarinet compositions in our repertory, yet we inevitably gravitate towards many of the same pieces. This week, I challenge you to dig deep in the depths of the internet to find 10 new-to-you pieces which represent a diverse collection. I’ll leave the definition of diverse to you – perhaps they span different eras (Classical, Romantic, Modern), composer nationality, style, clarinet techniques used in the piece, genre (punk rock clarinet?), or…

  • 2020 March Madness Clarinet Concerti Tournament

    Back by popular demand – March Madness, Jenny Clarinet style! Last year was the battle of the orchestral excerpts, and this year it’s time to see which one of our beloved clarinet concerti is the champion! The Jenny Clarinet March Madness tournament is a fun and interactive way to discover new clarinet concerti and revisit timeless favorites. Here’s how it works: I’ve modeled this March Madness bracket after the famous basketball brackets (for all you sports fans). I’ve created a bracket with 32 of the most famous concerti for clarinet, and I used a random online generator to randomly pair each clarinet concerto for the first round. Before the tournament…

  • The Last Time You Ever Play a Piece of Music

    When I was going through my music library to decide which pieces to take with me to Iowa, I came across Robert Muczynski’s Time Pieces for clarinet and piano. I had performed this piece countless times around ten years ago, and I started flipping through the pages and remembering this piece’s significant role in my repertoire. It went with me to several competitions, including Astral Artists and Concert Artists Guild, where I performed it from memory, and I played it dozens of other times in recitals and other venues. As I read through my cues and margin notes, I realized that at some point in our musical journey, we put…

  • 10 Clarinet Concerti Written During the Last 10 Years

    Wow at how the time flies! I can hardly believe another decade is nearly over! To celebrate another wonderful ten years of clarinetistry, here are ten clarinet concerti written this last decade I’ve enjoyed (arranged alphabetically by composer’s last name): Sérgio Azevedo – Clarinet Concerto Unsuk Chin – Clarinet Concerto David Gompper – Clarinet Concerto (which is an orchestrated expansion of his Traceur for clarinet and piano) Rolf Martinsson – Concerto Fantastique Óscar Navarro – Clarinet Concerto No. 2 Joseph Phibbs – Clarinet Concerto Kareem Roustom – Clarinet Concerto: Adrift on the Wine-dark Sea Kaija Saariaho – D’om le vrai sens Frank Ticheli – Concerto for Clarinet and Wind Ensemble Michael…

  • Historic High Notes in Clarinet Repertoire

    I’ve always loved hitting the high notes on the clarinet, and I consider it one of my musical strengths. I credit this to the friendly competition I had in high school with my best friends to see who could play higher (thanks Patrick and Robby!) and come up with the most fingerings for each note. (This could also be the reason I gravitate towards the E-flat clarinet instead of the bass, but that’s a subject for another day!) I’m currently preparing the Josef Rheinberger Sonata Op. 105a for a recital, and it has some uncharacteristically high notes for the Romantic period. It got me wondering – what are some of…

  • My First Solo: A Complete Guide to Choosing & Practicing Clarinet Repertoire

    The clarinet is #blessed with a wide variety of repertoire written in all styles and for all skill levels, with a scope from beginner to extremely advanced. This can be overwhelming when you’re making the leap from method and etude books to your first full-blown solo, concerto, sonata, or other serious repertoire.* Here’s everything you need to know to select, prepare, and perform your first clarinet solo: *Note: I am referring to solos of the clarinet repertoire – not one-page solos found in method books or simple arrangements of pieces for other instruments. When should I play my first solo? There is no correct age or years of experience, but…