Wind Ensembles

Deux Esquisses, by Philippe Gaubert

transcribed for Clarinet and Piano by C. A. Vater

Clarinet part and Piano score, PDF $9.99

Philippe Gaubert was a prominent French flutist, composer, and conductor who held a professorship at the Paris Conservatory and principal conducting positions at the Paris Opéra and the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire. We’ve created a transcription of his Deux Esquisses (Two Sketches) for B♭ clarinet, complete with piano score. These pieces were written for flute and piano but are nicely adaptable for other winds. They were originally published by Heugel & Cie, in 1915 (No.1) and 1914 (No.2), and are now in the public domain. No.1, Soir sur la Plaine (Evening on the Plain), opens intriguingly with the solo instrument playing alone, repeating a single note. This motif sets the lovely, mysteriously forlorn tone of Soir sur la Plaine, and returns multiple times later in the piece. No.2, the second sketch, is Orientale, which, as its name suggests, evokes an atmosphere seemingly strange and foreign, Eastern.

Piano Score, 10 pages; Clarinet part, 4 pages; Total, 20 pages.

Glazunov - Chant du Ménestrel, Op.71, by Alexander Glazunov

Transcribed for A-Clarinet and Piano by C.A.Vater

Score and Part; PDF $7.99

Alexander Glazunov (1865-1936) was an eminent composer in the late Russian romantic tradition.  In 1901, he published two versions of his Chant du Ménestrel, one for cello and orchestra and another for cello and piano, dedicating the work to Alexandre Wierzbilowicz, principal cello at the Russian Imperial Opera Orchestra and a professor at the Conservatory.  Chant du Ménestrel (Minstrel’s Song) is a sorrowful, romantic piece that evokes the image of a Russian troubadour wandering the countryside, singing his sad songs.  The lyrical, expressive solo cello line is without double stops and readily transcribed for other instruments.  Written in the key of F# minor, this short work (average duration 3-4 minutes) adapts especially well for A-clarinet.  

Score, 4 pages; A-Clarinet part, 2 pages; Total, 10 pages. 

Elegy, Op.44, by Alexander Glazunov

Transcribed for Bb Clarinet (and Piano) by John W. Pratt

Clarinet Part — PDF $3.99

Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov (b. St. Petersburg, 1865; d. Paris, 1936) was a major composer in the late Russian romantic tradition. His Elegy, Op.44, was written for viola and piano in 1893, and has been transcribed by John W. Pratt for Bb clarinet. The piece is about 6 minutes long, elegiac but not lugubrious. It consists of a lovely melody in 9/8 enhanced by a simple but warm piano accompaniment. The viola melody is readily transcribed for other instruments, since it is without double stops. The piano part is freely available at IMSLP.org.

Clarinet part, 2 pages; Total, 6 pages.

Early Sonatas, by Franz Joseph Haydn

Arranged as Woodwind Duets by John W. Pratt (originally for keyboard)

Even the earliest of Franz Joseph Haydn’s keyboard sonatas have great rhythmic variety and vitality, and are delightful when played with verve. They are mostly in two voices, and even where not, their early classical harmonies are easily conveyed by two instruments. They incorporate few pianistic effects and lie comfortably within range for flute or oboe and bassoon or clarinet, and thus make natural woodwind duets of lively, interesting music. All these editions include a score and parts.  Those wishing to consult the keyboard editions of the Haydn sonatas, from which Mr. Pratt created his arrangements, can find them at imslp.org.  (Adapted from J. W. Pratt’s preface to the edition.)

Cover image “Decorations of the Sala Terrena, Eszterházy Palace in Fertőd, Hungary“ by Monyesz, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

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This edition includes seven of Haydn's early keyboard sonatas arranged as duets for flute and bassoon. John Pratt's creation of these duets was inspired by a desire to offer two of his music colleagues some new music to enjoy, as they had exhausted their available flute and bassoon duo repertoire. These duets work nicely for winds and are fun to play.  For a sense of how they sound when played by flute and bassoon, click below to listen to a computer-generated audio excerpt: the first 45” of the recording come from the Andante of Sonata 5 (Hob. XVI:11), followed by 25” of the Sonata 6 (Hob. XVI:10) Presto.  Alternatively, the flute part can be played on oboe, making these sonata arrangements nicely amenable to oboe and bassoon duos as well.

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►Early Haydn Sonatas arranged by John W. Pratt as Duets for Flute and B

Fantasia in C major, by F. J. Haydn

Arranged as a Duet for Flute and Clarinet by John W. Pratt

Flute Part, A Clarinet Part, and Mini-Score ― PDF $12.99

Fantasia in C major (Op.58; Hob. XVII:4) was written by Haydn in 1789 for the pianoforte.  Based on a folk song about a farmer's wife chasing her cat, one can easily imagine in the music kittenish scampering, stealthy approaches, unexpected pounces, and mad chases with abrupt changes of direction.   The style and playfulness of the piece lend themselves well to flute and clarinet.  The transcription is able to capture the feel Haydn intended, with new coloring, while at the same time affording flutists and clarinetists the joy of experiencing the work first-hand. (adapted from JWP's foreword to the edition)

Flute part, 6 pages; Clarinet in A part, 6 pages; Mini-score in concert pitch, 6 pages; Total, 24 pages.