Montagskonzert

montagsKonzert der musikFabrik
3 December 2012, 8 pm
Studio der musikFabrik
Im Mediapark 7
Köln

Igor Stravinsky Suite from L’Histoire du Soldat (1919) for clarinet in A/B flat, violin and piano
Helmut Lachenmann Dal Niente (Intérieur III) (1970) for clarinet in B flat
Alexander Chernyshkov rather blue (2012) for violin, bass clarinet and piano (first performance)
Béla Bartók Contrasts Sz 111 (1938) for violin, clarinet and piano

also Johannes Schöllhorn – Oréade and Helmut Lachenmann – Guero and Toccatina

Carl Rosman, clarinet in A/clarinet in B flat/bass clarinet
Hannah Weirich, violin and curator
Ulrich Löffler, piano

ONtemporary
Ensemble musikFabrik

Montagskonzert

montagsKonzert der musikFabrik
1 October 2012, 8 pm
Studio der musikFabrik
Im Mediapark 7
Köln

Dieter Mack Bulan (1990) for cor anglais and bass clarinet
Georges Aperghis Récitation 9 (1978) for solo voice
Georges Aperghis
Damespiel (2011) for bass clarinet (first performance in Germany)
Steven Takasugi Jargon of Nothingness (2012) for oboe, clarinet and electronics (first performance in Germany)
Georges Aperghis Récitation 7 (1978) for solo voice
Georges Aperghis À bout de bras (1989) for oboe and clarinet in C

also Chaya Czernowin – The Last Leaf and Liza Lim – Gyfu for solo oboe

Carl Rosman, clarinet in C/clarinet in B flat/bass clarinet/voice
Peter Veale, oboe

Ensemble musikFabrik

Damespiel (detail)

Brahms/Klengel, full-Boehm clarinets

I’m sure most clarinettists dream of playing the Brahms quintet. Of course a fair number of lucky ones have even done it in real life. For some reason I have never managed all at the same time to have the impulse, the occasion, and the right friends who play the right instruments. In my university days I played the Brahms sonatas but I didn’t quite see the point of them then – they seemed like a clarinet interfering with a piano sonata (they still do, but that’s less of a problem when working with trusted colleagues than when preparing them alone to put them together with an accompanist just before an exam). I had to leave them alone for about ten years before I finally felt I could approach then again. I’ve also managed to play the trio once or twice. So far, though, the quintet has stayed out of reach – at least, as a quintet.

Over the last few years I’ve done a few Brahms arrangements just so that I could play a little more Brahms. The horn trio works surprisingly well for clarinet, cello and piano; so does the third movement of the third symphony, which a couple of years ago I arranged as an ‘encore’ piece for trio concerts. The last time I played the trio I wondered whether the quintet could be persuaded to work for clarinet and piano. It turns out that that thought is almost as old as the piece: the arrangement Mark and I will be playing was published in 1893. It’s by Paul Klengel, a ‘house arranger’ at Brahms’s publisher Simrock, who also made many other Brahms arrangements, including a solo piano version of the quintet at around the same time. (The piano solo version, although alas not the duo, is on IMSLP.) It isn’t simply a ‘piano reduction’ of the full version: the clarinet is often given music that the strings play in the full version, not just to give the clarinettist more to do, but to try to recreate the dialogue effectively for a duo rather than just cram four instruments into one. The most obvious moment is at the beginning of the finale, where the clarinet plays the theme instead of just a few accompanying fragments.

Just for a change, I’m not playing bass or contrabass clarinets this time. To keep things interesting I’m keeping my options open for now which B flat and A clarinets I use. I’ve had a Leblanc 1970s B flat ‘full Boehm’ for a little while now: its sound isn’t as full as more recent instruments but it has a huge range of colour and comes a lot closer to a classic ‘French’ palette – which makes playing Debussy on it very pleasant indeed, and which in turn should suit Richard Beaudoin’s ‘la tradition française’ quite nicely. I’m also trying a 1970s Buffet full Boehm A at the moment, which again is a little more intimate in sound that what I would otherwise play, but again, all the better for the Brahms, especially in a duo format. There’s just one moment where the extra low E flat of the full Boehm might be tempting:


I do hope I manage to resist.

(L: Buffet R13 full-Boehm A; R: Leblanc LL full-Boehm Bb. Photo Heather Roche.)

Claude, Rick, Mike and John

19 August 2012, 4 pm
The Red Hedgehog
255-257 Archway Road
Highgate, London

Claude Debussy Première rhapsodie (1909-10) for clarinet in B flat and piano
Richard Beaudoin
The Artist and his Model IV—la tradition française (2011) for clarinet in B flat and piano (first performance)
Michael Finnissy Marilyn, Brian, Mike and the cats (2004) for clarinet in B flat, piano and pre-recorded cats
Johannes Brahms/Paul Klengel Duo für Clarinette und Pianoforte nach dem Quintett op. 115 (1891/1893) for clarinet in A and piano

also Beaudoin: The Artist and his Model I—la fille floutée

Carl Rosman, clarinets in B flat/A
Mark Knoop, piano

The Red Hedgehog

Tzlil Meudcan

Tzlil Meudcan Festival & Summer Course of New Music
27 June 2012, 8 pm
Felicja Blumental Music Center, Tel Aviv

Georges Aperghis À bout de bras (1989) for oboe and clarinet in C
Georges Aperghis
Damespiel (2011) for bass clarinet (first performance)
Steven Takasugi Jargon of Nothingness (2012) for oboe, clarinet and electronics (first performance)
Hadas Pe’ery Off-By-One Error (2012) for oboe/cor anglais, clarinet in B flat/bass clarinet and digital oscillator (first performance)

and other works

Carl Rosman, clarinet in C/clarinet in B flat/bass clarinet
Peter Veale, oboe

Tzlil Meudcan

Harvard workshops II: EMPAC

13 May 2012, 6 pm
Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC)
Troy, New York

Richard Barrett interference (1996–2000) for contrabass clarinet, voice and pedal bass drum (first performance in the USA)
John Cage
Concert for Piano and Orchestra (1957–58)
Justin Hoke
Pantomime-Aria (2012) for ensemble
Sabrina Schroeder
Spuler (2012) for ensemble
Timothy McCormack
Nous-Apparatus (2012) for ensemble

also Vivier: Paramirabo

Benjamin Kobler, piano
Ensemble musikFabrik/Yordan Kamdzhalov

Harvard workshops I: Harvard

12 May 2012, 8 pm
John Knowles Concert Hall
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Ian Power For every human being who looks up at the moon will know (2012) for ensemble (first performance)
Justin Hoke
Pantomime-Aria (2012) for ensemble
Timothy McCormack
Nous-Apparatus (2012) for ensemble (first performance)
Sivan Cohen-Elias
Where is There (2012) for ensemble (first performance)
Sabrina Schroeder
Spuler (2012) for ensemble (first performance)
Edgar Barroso
Over-Proximity (2012) for ensemble (first performance)

Ensemble musikFabrik/Yordan Kamdzhalov

66. Frühjahrstagung des INMM

11 April 2012, 7:30 pm
Großer Saal
Akademie für Tonkunst
Ludwigshöhstraße 120
Darmstadt

Johannes Schöllhorn Madria (1993/94) for clarinet, accordion and cello
Rebecca Saunders
Caerulean (2011) for bass clarinet (first performance in Germany)
Brian Ferneyhough
Time and Motion Study I (1971–77) for bass clarinet
Keiko Harada
Midstream (1997) for clarinet and accordion

also Hannes Seidl: Vergiftet

Carl Rosman, clarinet in B flat/bass clarinet
Eva Zöllner, accordion
Niklas Seidl, cello

ORCiM Seminar

22 February 2012, 8 pm
Orpheus Institute
Ghent

Helmut Lachenmann Dal Niente (Intérieur III) (1970) for clarinet in B flat
Richard Barrett
knospend-gespaltener (1992-93) for clarinet in C

also works by Nono, Czernowin

Carl Rosman, clarinets in B flat/C
Richard Craig, flutes
Juan Parra, electronics

Mauricio Kagels 80. Geburtstag

14 December 2011, 7 pm
Kunststation Sankt Peter
Köln

Carola Bauckholt Humus (2011) (first performance)
Chris Newman I paid for the edges of time – bye-bye  (2011) (first performance)
Mauricio Kagel Elegie para clarinete solo (1956) (first performance)
Mauricio Kagel Pieza para clarinete solo (1957) (first performance)
Manos Tsangaris Final Match (2011) (first performance)

also works by Kagel, de Alvear

Carl Rosman, clarinet
Benjamin Kobler, piano
Ensemble musikFabrik