Music for clarinet and toy piano
Longtime readers of Jenny Clarinet know that I have a fascination with lesser-known instruments (this blog post I wrote a few years ago even led to me learning how to play the theremin!).
Even though I had heard of the toy piano, it wasn’t until I attended a Yann Tiersen concert in Paris a few years ago and heard Tiersen perform on the toy piano that I began to wonder if any music had ever been written for clarinet and toy piano.
Spoiler alert: yes it has! (but as you might imagine, it’s not as extensive as our repertoire for more common instruments)
Here are some pieces I’ve stumbled upon which feature clarinet and toy piano:
(pieces listed alphabetically by composer’s last name; links included for pieces as available. Please note that this is not a comprehensive list, and I will update this list as I discover other works featuring clarinet and toy piano.)
- Richard Belcastro’s Inner Strife for clarinet, electric guitar, piano, toy piano, and percussion
- Dietmar Bonnen Drei Bilder for voice, piano, and ad libitum bass clarinet
- Phyllis Chen Everything Turns, Everything Revolves for toy piano, violin, clarinet and toys
- Phyllis Chen Chimers for toy piano, toy glockenspiel, clarinet, violin and tuning forks
- Phyllis Chen Glass Clouds We Have Known for toy piano, bowls, bass clarinet, flute, electronics and video
- Renald Deppe feed music for toy piano, sax/clarinet, and cello
- John Glover Lucy for small ensemble (featuring clarinet and toy piano)
- Jacob Gregg Etude for clarinet and toy piano
- Erik Griswold Gossamer wings for flute, clarinet, toy piano, percussion, violin & cello
- Wang Jie Wait for the Beginning for flute/piccolo, clarinet/bass clarinet, violin, cello, piano, toy piano
- J. M. Maury La Boîte à Musique for clarinet, bass clarinet, and toy piano
- Monica Pearce connotations for flute, clarinet, toy piano, violin and cello
- Monica Pearce Girl before a Mirror for clarinet, trumpet, piano/toy piano, percussion, violin and double bass
Bonus:
- HK Gruber – Frankenstein!! Not only does this piece feature toy clarinets, but it also calls for car horns (authentic vintage ones and toy versions). However, it does not include toy piano.
- A Facebook event page for a concert featuring toy pianos (and a bit of clarinet)
- Learn more about toy piano works and players here.
- If your inner child is curious about other toy instruments, here are five pieces written for toys.
Update (March 2023):
Olivia Kieffer is doing her dissertation partially on chamber music for toy piano and graciously provided me with the list below of music which includes clarinet and toy piano. For more information on Oliva and music for toy piano, check out her website. Thanks Olivia for sharing your research!
- Abbinanti, Frank BP Gulf 2008 Cello, baritone saxophone, accordion, contrabass, toy piano, contrabass clarinet, piano, vibraphone, electric guitar
- Belcastro, Richard Inner Strife 2015 Bb Clarinet, Piano, Toy Piano/Melodica, E. Guitar & Percussion
- Bettison, Oscar Gauze vespers 2007 clarinet, percussion/toy piano, prepared piano/toy piano, violin, cello
- Bettison, Oscar An Automated Sunrise (for Joseph Cornell) 2014 alto flute/piccolo, clarinet/bass clarinet, percussion (1 player), piano/toy piano, violin, viola and cello
- Biedenbender, David Shell and Wing 2018 soprano, flute, clarinet (doubling bass clarinet), violin, cello, percussion (vib., glockenspiel, opt. toy piano), and piano
- Block, J.M. Meditation No. 50 2022 Oboe, Clarinet in A, Bassoon and (amplified) toy piano (amplification only if necessary)
- Blom, Diana Binary Star 2021 flute, violin, clarinet, cello and toy piano
- Bonnen, Dietmar 3 Pictures 1994 Voice and Toy Piano (Bass Clarinet)
- Boon, Dante Lied (je slaapt) 2012 toy piano and clarinet
- Bowen, Jeff Stalasso III 2018 3 toy pianos, flute, clarinet, harmonic canon
- Cameron, Allison Retablo 2 ‘Almayne’ 2022 cello, violin, clarinet, piano, acolyte bells/toy piano
- Campbell, Mathew Perigee-Syzygy 2020 clarinet, percussion quartet (percs play toy pianos), electronics
- Carvalho, Sara taurus 2021 flute, clarinet, toy piano, violin and cello
- Chen, Phyllis Chimers 2011 violin, clarinet, toy piano, toy glockenspiel, tuning fork
- Ciceri, Carlo INS WASSER 2016 voice, flute, clarinet, 2 percussion (perc I plays toy piano)
- Dundee, Corey colorless green ideas sleep furiously 2015 Piccolo, E-flat clarinet, violin, toy piano, cello, percussion
- Elwood, Paul The Vault of Heaven, The Crystal Sea 1995 solo cello with flute, clarinet, piano/toy piano, percussion, violin
- Garau, Lucio Pinocchio notturno 2005 clarinet, accordion, violin, cello, toy piano and sampled voices
- Goh, Yen-Lin Déjà vu 2019 toy piano, sheng, pipa, clarinet, violin, double bass and live electronics
- Graaff, Jan-Peter de Parallax 2021 flute/piccolo/alto flute/wood block, clarinet [clarinet in A]/clarinet/bass clarinet/wood block, piano [kick drum]/toy piano/drum, violin/triangle, cello/triangle
- Griswold, Erik Gossamer Wings 2013 toy piano, flute, clarinet, percussion, violin, cello
- Ivani, Niloufar Infinite 2018 toy piano, toy piano/flute, toy piano/clarinet
- Jenni, Donald R-music, Asphode 1 1969 flute, alto flute, 2 clarinets, 2 trombones, 5 cellos. 4 double basses, piano, toy piano, harp, celeste, vibraphone, 3 percussion
- Joyce, Molly On and Off 2019 2 pianists plus flute, clarinet in Bb, tenor sax/bari sax, percussion (1 player), piano 1/toy piano, piano 2/toy piano, e. gtr, e. bass, cello
- Kalitzke, Johannes Schatten 2015-2016 clarinet, trumpet, trombone, 2 percussion, e. guitar, piano/toy piano/celeste, prepared piano, violin, cello
- Knorr, Geoff Grandma and grandpa’s music box 2010 violin (2), clarinet, cello, toy piano
- Korsun, Anna Plexus 2014 flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, toy piano, drums
- Kovler, Matti Here Comes Messiah! 2009 voice, violin, viola, 2 cellos, clarinet, accordion, piano, electronics, toy piano/celesta/synthesizer, piano
- Luppi, Gian Paolo Etius 2021 Flute, clarinet, violin violoncello and toy piano
- Luppi, Gian Paolo Conbis 2021 Flauto, Clarinetto, Toy Piano,Violino e violoncello
- McFadden, Kevin Sean 20 Episodes 2008 flute, clarinet, piano, percussion (toy piano), violin, cello
- McGraw, Patrick CPT (for TPC) 2015/2021 Flute/Piccolo, Bb Clarinet/Bass Clarinet, Vibraphone/Glockenspiel, Piano/Toy Piano, Violin, Contrabass, Baritone
- Nowicka, Ewelina Orient-Express 2020 soprano, mezzo soprano, violin, flute, clarinet, 5 pianos, toy piano
- O Hansson, Mats Papyeon 2019 toy piano, flute, clarinet
- Ouper, Jeffrey Faerie Tale Dances 2013 sopranino recorder, E-flat clarinet, and toy piano
- Pearce, Monica Girl Before a Mirror 2012 clarinet, trumpet, piano/toy piano, percussion, violin, double bass
- Pearce, Monica connotations 2013 flute, clarinet, toy piano, violin, cello
- Polaczyk, Jakub La scena Piccola 2012 toy piano and E-flat clarinet
- Räisänen, Tomi Die Sauna der 7 Brüder 2010 flute, clarinet, percussion, piano, accordion, viola, cello, electronics, toy pianos
- Rakowski, David Dream Logic 2019 flute/piccolo, clarinet/bass clarinet, piano/toy piano/melodica, violin, cello, percussion
- Renald, Deppe Feed Music 2010 toy piano, sax/clarinet and cello
- Rowan, Kyle Windhammer 2017 2 toy pianos and clarinet
- Ryan, Fiona Strange Gazes & Birdsong 2013 flute, clarinet. violin, toy piano and percussion
- Ryan, Fiona A geology lesson 2013 narrator, flute, clarinet, toy piano, violin (with electronic processing), double bass and percussion
- Sharman, Rodney Remembering John Cage 2019 clarinet piano and a toy piano
- Simms, Bekah sugar, poets, and lust 2014 flute/piccolo/alto flute, Bb clarinet/bass clarinet, piano/toy piano, violin, double bass, and percussion
- Smith, Paul Starburst 2021 Toy piano (3 octaves C-C), clarinet in A, violin, cello
- Sproul, Leah Joy of Childhood 2022 soprano/toy piano, flutes, clarinet/toy piano, violin, cello
- Thornborrow, Chris This Changing View 2013 flute, clarinet, toy piano, violin, cello
- Thorpe, Dan Front Pockets, Back Pockets, Jacket Pockets 2016 soprano, clarinet/bass clarinet, cello, toy piano
- Verrando, Giovanni Dulle Griet 2010 bass flute/toy piano, clarinet, percussion, keyboard/sampler, violin, cello
- Versluis, Tyler Delightful automata 2014 flute, clarinet, violin, double bass, percussion and toy piano
- Wickman, Ethan Atomic Variations 2006 flute, clarinet, saxophone, cello, guitar, bass, percussion, piano/toy piano
- Wookey, Michael Coney Island Sous l’Eau 2013 2 toy pianos, cello, bass clarinet, flute, violin, oboe, 2 percussion
- Zavala, Mercedes Polaris 2021 Flute, clarinet, violin violoncello and toy piano
Know of any other pieces featuring clarinet and toy piano? Leave a comment below so I can add them to the list!