32nd Annual Student Research Conference
Stravinsky’s Three Pieces and Their Influence on Later Unaccompanied Works for Clarinet
Anna M. Graves
Dr. Jesse D. Krebs, Faculty Mentor
Although unaccompanied solos are a staple in the modern clarinet repertoire, unaccompanied clarinet pieces were rather sparse before the twentieth century. In 1919, Igor Stravinsky, famous for his ballets at the time, wrote Three Pieces for Solo Clarinet as a token of appreciation for his benefactor, who was also an amateur clarinetist. This piece inspired a generation of composers to write for this medium. My research briefly explores the history of unaccompanied clarinet literature before Stravinsky’s Three Pieces for Solo Clarinet. I will also discuss this piece’s roots and its use of jazz idioms. I will demonstrate how this piece influenced later composers and their writing of clarinet solos by showing specific examples from a few works including William O. Smith’s Five Pieces for Clarinet Alone and Donald Martino’s A Set for Clarinet.
Keywords: Clarinet, Unaccompanied, Twentieth Century Music, Stravinsky, Jazz
Topic(s):Music
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 209-2
Location: MC 210
Time: 10:30