First Book of Clarinet Solos: Clarinet & Piano Book

This collection spans four centuries without feeling scattered, moving smoothly from Purcell and Rameau through the Romantics to Scott. Each piece supports a specific technical or musical goal, so students aren't just playing solos, they're building an actual foundation.

Stepping into a well-appointed library where everything fits in your hand. These solos feel substantial and civilized, from the dance-like energy of Shepherd's Hey to the introspection of By The Fireside. You're not playing exercises dressed up as music; you're playing real pieces that happen to suit your instrument.

Early intermediate clarinetists who need repertoire that sounds mature without technical barriers. This works equally well for student soloists building a recital and for ensemble programs wanting short, polished pieces between larger works.

• Study the piano part as seriously as your clarinet line. These accompaniments aren't filler; they establish harmonic context and often shape the phrasing.
• Match the stylistic requirements of each era. The Baroque dances demand articulation clarity; the Romantic pieces ask for sustained, singing tone.
• Use slower tempos than you think you need in the opening rehearsals. Mozart's Lullaby and Schubert's Theme reveal their shape only when you have time to hear yourself.
• Pay attention to dynamics as structural markers, not decorative touches. MacDowell's To A Wild Rose uses them to define its gentle climax.

Feature one or two as intermission pieces in a larger concert, or build an entire student recital around them. They also pair well in a chamber program, several of these work nicely as opening numbers before you bring out heavier soloists.

• Stylistic differentiation across Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and folk idioms
• Reading varied accompaniment textures and responding musically to them
• Phrase shaping with limited dynamic range (songs and character pieces)
• Precision in articulation across dances and lyrical passages
• Sustaining tone quality in slow, song-like movements