11.18.23 Gianna Montagno, Clarinet

Student Recital Series Sara M. Snell Music Theater

2023 – 2024 Season Saturday, November 18th at 6:50 PM

Gianna Montagno, Clarinet

Professor Andrew Voelker, piano Jocelyn Kagoro, flute Five Bagatelles op. 23 (1945) I-Prelude II-Romance III-Carol IV-Forlana V-Fughetta Andrew Voelker, piano

Gerald Finzi (1901-1956)

Concerto for Clarinet and String Orchestra (1948)

Aaron Copland (1900-1990)

Andrew Voelker, Piano Duos for Flute and Clarinet Op. 24 (1991) I- Andante Sostenuto II- Allegro Risoluto III-Moderato IV- Allegro ma non tropo V- Andante molto VI- Allegro Jocelyn Kagoro, Flute Intermission

Robert Muczynski (1929-2010)

Clarinet Concerto No.1, Op. 26 (1812) I-Adagio-Allegro II-Adagio III-Rondo-Vivace Andrew Voelker, Piano The Blues from An American in Paris (2003)

Louis Sphor (1784-1859)

Michele Mangani (b. 1966)

Andrew Voelker, Piano

Gianna Montagno is from the studio of Dr. Julianne Kirk-Doyle This program is presented to fulfill the recital requirement for the Master of Music degree in Performance.

Five Bagatelles Gerald Finzi 1901-1956 Published at the conclusion of the second World War, this piece drew inspiration from the likes of Bach, Elgar, and Vaughan Williams. Finzi would go as far as to cite Vaughan Williams as his “compositional hero” and would move to Painswick, Gloucestershire which is where Vaughan WIlliams was born. They foraged their first communications a year later, and their friendship helped to cultivate some of Finzi's most notable works.

The Five Bagatelles are Finzis most famous compositional works by far, published modernly as a set of five, when there had been a previous argument made by the publishers that they would do considerably better printed separately.

Finzi insisted they be printed as a complete set of five, rather than individually, which is ultimately how the work would be published.

The first Bagatelle draws inspiration from Bach's Two-Part Inventions. This is noted in both the melodic function as well as the way the piano harmony is structured around the clarinet line. The second Bagatelle, entitled Romance, has a song-like quality about it, which serves to contrast with the insistent nature of the first piece. The third Bagatelle took significantly longer for Finzi to write and is entitled Carol. It is based on a poem of the same title by Ivor Gurney, a poem which talks about winter and the change of season. The tenderness of the clarinet melody helps to exemplify this characteristic. The fourth Bagatelle entitled Forlana, is thought to have drawn inspiration from Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin and is played with a performance marking of Allegretto grazioso. The 5th and final Bagatelle is entitled Fughetta, and is performed with the tempo marking Allegro Vivace. The finale of this concludes by exploring the entire range of the clarinet, in an exhilarating and technical manner, bringing the work to an exciting halt.

Concerto for Clarinet and String Orchestra Aaron Copland 1900-1990 Commissioned by world renowned jazz clarinetist Benny Goodman in 1947, In order to show the world his abilities beyond the realm of jazz clarinet playing, this Concerto encompasses elements of jazz, extended technique, and contrasting lyricism that are to be expected of any Copland composition. The initial

performance, as well as the initial publication of the work was delayed due to the fact that Copland was commissioned around the same time to compose a film score for a John Steinbeck book. During this time Copland continued to work on the concerto that was commissioned by Goodman. It is worth mentioning that Copland also was working at Tanglewood during this same period in time. It wasn't until 1950 that the first public performance of this piece occurred with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Goodman had been quoted saying that he put no restrictions on what Copland wrote in terms of the content of the concerto, he only required that he had a 2-year exclusivity on playing the work, “ I made no demands on what Copeland should write... except that I should have a 2-year exclusivity on playing the work... I paid $2,000 and that's real money”.

The introduction of this work starts with a soaring clarinet melody, which is a test in itself for the player's endurance, stamina, and pacing. This melodic introduction eventually transitions into an intense and rapidly paced cadenza. There have been many variations on this cadenza, including ossia sections that have been lifted from the original manuscript. Certain sections of the cadenza were rewritten per Benny Goodman's request due to the unreasonable nature of the range. As you come out of the Cadenza a jarring recapitulation of the previous theme gets modulated into a number of different keys. This eventually gives way to a more relaxed jazz section and concludes with the work culminating in one final dramatic glissando, which brings the piece to a halt abruptly.

Duo for Flute and Clarinet Op. 24 Robert Muczynski 1929-2010 “Muczynski’s Duos, Op. 24 for flute and clarinet have a copyright date of 1991, however, the opus number precedes that of the version of this work for two flutes (Op. 34, 1974). The six short pieces included in this collection of duos are the epitome of Muczynski. The first movement features a melodic flute obligato over a slowly ascending clarinet line. The second movement is a jaunty mixed meter dance that alternates between 5/8, 2/8, and 6/8. The flute and clarinet trade expressive melodic lines in the third movement before joining together for one measure at the dynamic peak. The fourth movement explores the juxtaposition of unison passages with rhythmically complex simultaneous simple and compound subdivisions of the beat. The fifth movement is perhaps the most lyrical and expressive of the collection. The final movement is an accented, molto perpetuo

stream of eighth notes that race to an exciting conclusion.”-Dr. Amanda Cook, West Virginia University Clarinet Concerto No.1 Op.26 Louis Spohr 1784-1859 “It was at Gotha in the autumn of 1808 that Spohr met the clarinet virtuoso Johann Simon Hermstedt (1778–1846), the wind band director at the nearby court of Sondershausen. Hermstedt’s ducal employer dispatched his clarinetist to Gotha to commission a concerto from Spohr and the two men hit it off straight away.

Both worshiped Mozart, both were Freemasons like their hero, and Hermstedt had originally trained as a violinist, so they had a lot in common. The friendship was probably cemented more firmly at one of their first concerts together when they played Mozart’s clarinet quintet with Spohr on first violin. Their fruitful partnership puts them in the company of Mozart and Anton Stadler, Weber and Heinrich Baermann and Brahms and Richard Mühlfeld, three great composers and the clarinettista who inspired them to produce some of their finest works. So it was with Spohr and Hermstedt.

Spohr immediately began work on the Concerto in C minor and took it to Sondershausen in January 1809 to go through it with Hermstedt. At the time, while Spohr was familiar with the range of the clarinet, he knew little about its strengths and weaknesses and planned to adjust his score in the light of Hermstedt’s advice. But the clarinetist liked the concerto as it was and assured Spohr that he would adapt and expand his instrument to suit the music. And so he did, thus bringing about important developments in the range and flexibility of the clarinet, expanding it from five keys to thirteen. Hermstedt’s modifications and alterations were detailed in a preface to the first publication of the concerto as opus 26 in 1812.

At the time he wrote the concerto, Spohr was already an experienced composer of works in this form. Though only twenty-four, he had under his belt eight violin concertos, one for two violins, one for violin and cello and two for violin and harp. Although the C minor Clarinet Concerto is broadly in the classical mold with two fast movements framing a central slow one, it differs from the standard model in a number of respects. Firstly, the work opens with a slow introduction which contains the main motif of the first movement; secondly, when the Allegro

begins, the soloist enters after only eight bars. The long orchestral opening tutti familiar from the great concertos of Mozart and Beethoven is dispensed with; instead the slow introduction may be said to replace it in a highly compressed manner. The second subject is also built from the core motif but when what is usually known as the ‘development’ is reached a new, completely contrasting and lyrical theme appears.The Adagio is a short, beautiful intermezzo, delicately supported only by violins and cello; even the violas and basses sit out this movement. In contrast, the final Rondo is mainly lively with fiendish humor involving much activity from the orchestra’s wind section though, instead of final fireworks, the key of C minor returns at the end for a gentle and romantic fade out which recalls the more serious mood of the Adagio opening of the whole work.

Hermstedt gave the first performance of the C minor Concerto at Sondershausen on 16 June 1809 and then took it on tour. It was an enormous success and cemented Hermstedt’s reputation as the leading clarinet virtuoso of the day, challenged only by Weber’s favorite, Baermann. Following Hermstedt’s concerts in Leipzig on 23 and 28 November 1809, the leading German musical journal, Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung, published a rave review. After praising Hermstedt’s brilliance, the critic continued: ‘As no composition whatever existed in which this excellent artist could display all the superiority of his playing, Herr Concertmeister Spohr of Gotha has written one for him; and, setting aside this special purpose, it belongs to the most spirited and beautiful music which this justly famous master has ever written.”-Dr. Keith Warsop, Chairman of the Spohr Society of Great Britain

The Blues from An American in Paris George Gershwin Arranged by Michele Magani In the mid-1920s George Gershwin stayed in Paris, in order to further cultivate his compositional craft. During his time there, Gershwin applied to study composition with Nadia Boulanger and Maurice Ravel who turned him down, afraid that rigorous classical study would ruin his jazz-influenced style. In a letter from Maurice Ravel, he said, “Why become a second-rate Ravel when you’re already a first-rate Gershwin.” It was there where he wrote An American in Paris” A reduction/ adaptation Of a 17 minute symphonic score, Mangani arranged The Blues as a way to have influence from both Rhapsody In Blue and more traditional jazz elements from America in Paris. There are moments of extended technique as well as a traditional Jazz influence to be expected of any Gershwin

composition. This piece offers an exciting and unique demonstration of the wide range and ability of the clarinet, while simultaneously allowing the performer to add their own bits of personality and expressiveness.