Fantasy Pieces for clarinet and piano

1

FA N TA S I E S T Ü C K E

for clarinet and piano

BRAXTON BLAKE

BRAXTON

BLAKE MUSIC

2

FA N TA S I E S T Ü C K E for clarinet in b-flat and piano

The Fantasiestücke for clarinet and piano was composed in 1997 and consists of five movements. The first is flowing and somewhat fast, followed by a Presto (movement II). The third movement, again lyrical, is marked Largo, while the fourth, rather extroverted, is marked “in the manner of a Rag”. The final movement begins with a theme followed by five variations.

This work blends several disparate and subtle influences. Composed at a time when I was immersed in Schumann’s 4th Symphony, the lyrical passages of the Fantasiestücke are in homage to the irrepressible lyricism found throughout Schumann’s work. The more rapid passages reveal my admiration for the great swing clarinetists, Goodman and Shaw. (Never having been one to categorically avoid stylistic plurality, I have occasionally drawn upon and subtly incorporated the energy of jazz.) And there is one additional influence.

While living in Germany, I occasionally took slow, overnight trains that stopped at even the smallest station. The crawl of the travel, the nocturnal shadows of the landscape, the cool air, and the solitude provided the fruitful inspiration for the conception and development of this work.

The Fantasiestücke was composed for Jürgen Demmler, clarinetist with the Southwest German Radio Orchestra, Freiburg, and was first performed on November 12, 1998, in Karlsruhe, Germany.

BRAXTON

BLAKE MUSIC

1508 Longshore Drive Ann Arbor, MI 48105-1150 Tel/Fax (734) 332-9277 e-mail bblake@thedance.net http://braxtonblake.com

6.VI.16

3

for Michael Horvit

FANTASIESTÜCKE for Clarinet and Piano

I

=118-124

Clarinet in B

=118-124

Piano

sempre molto sostenuto, ma claro

l.v.

6

11

16

copyright © 2016 by Braxton Blake

Braxton Blake

(1997)

4 19

8va

8va

22

8va

8va

26

8va

29

8ba

8va

5 33

8ba

5

41

crescendo poco a poco

45

7:6

cresc.

6

50

55

59

*

* - Clarinet may end pitch earlier than notated, but with a diminuendo into niente.

7

II

Presto

8va

Presto

8

8va

16

23

8va

8 30

8ba

8ba

36

8ba

8ba

41

8ba

8ba

8ba

46

8ba

8ba

9 51

8va

8ba

8ba

8ba

56

8va

8ba

8ba

61

8va

8ba

8ba

8ba

66

8va

8ba

8ba

10 70

8ba

= 74

=

76

Tempo I

78

8va

Tempo I

11 82

8va

89

96

101

12

III Largo

calmando

Largo

calmando molto sostenuto

*

poco rit.

5 5 3

3

5

poco rit.

a tempo 8

3

a tempo

calmando

cantabile 8va

scorrevole

ad lib. * - all grace notes in the lower register should be serene and relaxed.

13

12

8va

14

8va

6

7

18

8va

8va

5

5

3

14

21

3

3

loco

8va

24 5 5

rit.

a tempo rit.

27

rit.

a tempo

rit.

gradually reduce the speed of the grace notes

15

=72-74 – in the manner of a Rag

IV

=72-74 – in the manner of a Rag 8va

8ba

5

R.H.

6

8ba

9

8va

8ba

8va

8ba

16

14

8va

* sost. Ped. 18

7

8va

8ba

22

8va

8ba

8ba

17

26

5

8va

8ba

30

5

8va

8ba

34

8va

8ba

8ba

8ba

18

38

8va

8ba

42

8va

46

3

8va

19

50

8ba

8ba

8ba

8ba

8ba

8ba

8ba

54

6

8ba

58

8ba

8ba

8ba

3

8va

8ba

20

62

8va 8va

8ba

65

68 7

8va

8ba

21

72

8va

8ba

76

5

8va

8ba

80

8va

8ba

22

83

5

8va

8ba

8ba

86

8va

8ba

8ba

89

8va

8ba

23

91

8ba

8ba

8ba

94

8ba

8ba

8ba

8ba

8ba

98

8va

8ba

8ba

8ba

8ba

24

V

Variations =72-74

=72-74

4

7

25

Variation I

=72

12

Variation I

=72

8va

*

*

16

5

8va

*

21 6

6

6

3

*

26

24

3

5

8va

8va

8va

8va

27

3

3

legato

* Ped. ad lib

3

30

=

3

3

Variation II

=108

3

Variation II

3

=

=108

27

34

5

5

3

5

5

3

3

5

5

37

6

3

3

3

3

40

6

3

3 3

6

3

6

6

6

6

28

3

42

5

5

5

5

8ba

46

3 5

5

5

5

3

3

3

3

loco

8ba

3 8ba

3

49

accelerando

=216

3

accelerando

=216

3

3

3

3

3

3

29

54

Variation III

6

=72 (previous = )

Variation III

=72 (previous = ) legato

sempre sost.

58

62

30

67

poco rit.

poco rit.

Variation IV

=112 subito 73

5

Variation IV

=112 subito

8ba

77

31

81

8va

85

8va

89

32

93

97

6

101

33 Variation V

=44 (previous

= =132)

104

Variation V

=44 (previous 8va

107

110

8va

8va

= =132)

34

113

8ba

117

121

35

125

36