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Publication Date

4-23-2014

Year of Release

2014

Note(s)

assisted by Mila Markun, piano

This recital is presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Master of Arts degree in Music Performance. Ms. Soules is a student in the clarinet studio of Dr. Ann Marie Bingham.

Chicago native Robert Muczynski was primarily a pianist. He studied with Walter Knupfer at DePaul University where he earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Muczynski's compositional career is marked by several prestigious commissions and performances, including a debut of his own piano works at Carnegie Hall in 1958 and a nomination for the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Concerto for Alto Saxophone, Op. 41.

Muczynski's Time pieces scored for clarinet and piano, were written for clarinetist Mitchell Lurie. They were premiered by Lurie and Muczynski on August 15, 1984 at the Clarinet Congress of the International Clarinet Society in London. The movements are angular and at times disjunct as they explore both the rhythmic and melodic capabilities of the instrument.

Burgmülller, a contemporary of Mendelssohn and Schumann, was born in Dusseldorf, Germany. He studied music with Louis Spohr in Kassel and later returned to Dusseldorf. His music greatly reflects the Romantic sensibility while maintaining an essence of the Classical style. Plagued by unsuccessful relationships, excessive drinking, and epilepsy, Burgmüller died at age 26 when he drowned at a spa in Aachen. Schumann was proactive in extending the life of Burgmüller's compositions as he arranged for the posthumous publication of two symphonies.

The three movements of the Duo for clarinet and piano are performed segue. The opening movement introduces a tuneful theme that is later developed in the final movement. The slow middle movement features passages where the clarinet and piano pass the melody back and forth. The last movement develops the opening theme and explores new key areas.

Carl Maria von Weber was a Romantic composer primarily known for his operas, which often demonstrate his keen sense of German nationalism. He spent much of his career traveling throughout Germany and helped establish the German operatic tradition. In 1826 Weber visited London while inflicted with tuberculosis. He died during his trip.

His pieces for clarinet, written for the virtuoso clarinetist Heinrich Baermann, reflect his operatic style. Baermann and Weber premiered the Grand Duo Concertante in 1817. The piece showcases both clarinet and piano and requires virtuosity from each player.

Béla Kovács is a Hungarian clarinetist who teaches at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest. Hommage à J.S. Bach is from an etude book of nine hommages in which Kovacs explores the styles of nine different composers. While Kovacs intended for the pieces to be used as etudes, they have been increasingly recognized as pieces of literature worthy of the recital stage. Against normal performance conventions, this piece ends the program. Bach signed his works with the letters S.D.G., signifying the Latin phrase, "Soli Deo Gloria," which means "Glory to God alone."

Note

Smith Recital Hall

Library of Congress Authorities

Muczynski, Robert, 1929-2010. Time pieces

Burgmüller, Norbert, 1810-1836. Duet, clarinet, piano, op. 15, E♭ major

Weber, Carl Maria von, 1786-1826. Grand duo concertant

Kovács, Béla, 1937- Hommages. Johann Sebastian Bach

Keywords

recitals, clarinet

Disciplines

Arts and Humanities | Fine Arts | Music | Music Performance

Marshall University Music Department Presents a Graduate Recital, Kate Soules, clarinet

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