C. Saint Saënes
Clarinet Sonata op. 167
I. Allegretto
II. Allegro animato
III. Lento
IV. Molto allegro
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 – 1921) was a French composer, organist, pianist, conductor, and music writer. The Sonata for Clarinet & Piano, Op. 167 was written in 1921 as a commission from French publisher Durand. It is dedicated "à Monsieur Auguste Périer / Professeur au Conservatoire de Musique de Paris." This Chester edition was first published in 1980.
Saint-Saëns' Clarinet Sonata is considered standard repertoire, and is revered for its elegance, beauty, and pristine construction. The gorgeous opening melody in the clarinet part immediately establishes the lyrical and expressive sensations which pervade the entire work. While never crossing into virtuosic flair, the second and fourth movements provide more sprightly and lively lines. The sorrowful third movement conjures the sonorities of the organ, the instrument for which Saint-Saëns' skills were renowned. It concludes with ethereal, gently-ascending chords in the piano that seamlessly usher in the final movement. The closing movement features a gentle, almost nostalgiac restatement of the first movement's opening melody. Overall, Saint-Saëns's writing is idiomatic to the clarinet, with the technique closely following traditional "Western" scale and chord patterns. The traditionally-Classical forms employed in the Sonata reflect the composer's staunch reverence for his predecessors, chiefly Mozart and Bach.
CHEN YI
CHINESE ANCIENT DANCES
I. Ox Tail Dance
II. Hu Xuan Dance
It is said that in ancient times, there was an ethnic group called Ge Tian Shi. Three people would dance in slow steps with ox tails in their hands, while singing eight songs to praise the earth, the totem of the black bird, plants, grains, nature, heaven, weather, and the flourishing of breeding livestock. The composer got her inspiration from imagining the gestures of holding the ox tails and went into the atmosphere of composing the first movement, Ox Tail Dance.
There is a poem called "Hu Xuan Lady" written by the famous poet Bai Ju-Yi in the Tang Dynasty, who described the Hu Xuan dance in detail. The energetic dance has continuous fast, spinning gestures, introduced to China from the West in ancient times. Chen reproduced this image in the second movement of her music, written vividly for clarinet and piano.
Schumann
Fantasiestücke op. 73
I. Zart und mit Ausdruck
II. Lebhaft leicht
III. Rasch und mit Feuer
These three fantasies come from one of the happier periods in Schumann’s career. He wrote them quickly in Dresden, in February 1849, and they were published later that year. He had the clarinet in mind originally, and called the work “Soiréestücke” (Night Pieces) before settling on Fantasiestücke (a characteristic label of his) and indicating that they might also be played by violin or cello, a practical concession to the domestic market for this sort of home entertainment.
Though the contrasting shifts of sudden mood swings are an essential element of Schumann’s fantasy writing, these three pieces are also highly unified and intended to be played as a group. They move from dark to light, from inward reflection to extroverted exuberance. Each is in the A-B-A song form typical of Romantic miniatures, creating a sequence of nested patterns here, culminating in a swelling coda with Schumann urging “faster” twice.
Taiwanese Folk Song
" Taohua Flirts with the Old Ferry Man" - arranged by Irene Chen
" Taohua Crossing" - transcribed by Irene Chen
"Taohua Crossing" (桃花過渡), a form of Taiwanese opera known as Chariot Drum Theatre. It typically features a female lead "Peach Blossom (Taohua) Girl" and a comedic male character (the Ferryman). They perform a lively exchange of songs and simple dances, filled with humor and playful dialogue. This performance was particularly popular during the agricultural era, serving as both a festive entertainment at religious events and an enjoyable form of song and dance for the general public.
"Taohua Crossing" originates from the melodies of traditional Taiwanese opera and is characterized by its cheerful, lighthearted folk tune. The story involves Lady Taohua crossing a river and encountering the bumbling Ferryman. They agree to a singing contest: if she wins, she crosses for free; if he wins, he gets to marry her.
The lyrics of this song are written according to the twelve months and various seasonal festivals, making it an excellent folk educational song and an early precursor to flirtatious call-and-response songs between men and women.
Stephan Hodel
A lenda do Boto
One night in June, the Boto, the pink river dolphin, leaves the Amazon River and transforms into a young, handsome man. Dressed all in white and wearing a hat that covers the blowhole that is still on his head, he seduces an unsuspecting young woman at a Junina dance festival. At the end of the night, he disappears back into the Amazon, leaving the young woman behind - pregnant.
Even today, folklore says that if the father of a child is not known, the child will be 'o filho do Boto', the son of Boto.
Although the legend originally comes from the north, it is known throughout Brazil. The piece was composed for trombone, guitar and percussion, and is now available in a new arrangement for clarinet and piano.