Copland Clarinet Concerto Cadenza's Enigma: What the Hell?

Yes, it's difficult. Yes it's really fun to play. Just...yes. But this cadenza has got so much packed into it -- so many short episodes -- it can sound really disjointed unless you plan your performance carefully. So let's take a look.

[@BCCM152]

I was fortunate enough to hear BG play this with Copland conducting the NY Phil (1968?). And as far as I know...this was the only time this concerto was featured with the NY Phil with anyone other than Stanley Drucker, who I was also fortunate enough to hear at his final performance as Principal. Both were iconic, of course.

[@nexussever]

It is ironic that I ran across your post. I have been listening to the recording of the '68 concert repeatedly for the past couple of days. I would love to have been there.

[@antoniojarvey]

What an experience that must have been! I do know that Anthony McGill has had the opportunity to record and perform the concerto with the NY Phil in recent years.

[@mdickinson]

While Mike's description of Benny Goodman as "a very famous big band clarinet player in the 1940s" is technically accurate, I'd describe him as "a jazz clarinetist who formed and led one of the most famous big bands of the 1930s." His band was groundbreaking not only for its landmark 1938 Carnegie Hall concert (the first time jazz was ever performed in a major concert hall, and arguably the day that jazz was "legitimatized" as an American art form) but also because it was the first well-known big band to be integrated (to feature both black and white musicians). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Goodman

[@20gilbert20]

This type of analysis is so far beyond my way of thinking! If you had not shared your breakdown, there is no reason I would have any knowledge--beyond just enjoying the "collection of notes." My dear cousin was the Director of the Cal Arts music dept, and I couldn't understand him most of the time. But you make everything easily understandable, even for a non-professional musician. And having a greater understanding just increases my enjoyment! THANK YOU. BTW, I grew up playing clarinet, and listening to Benny Goodman. In those days it was called a "licorice stick."

[@DaveMinot]

future video topic suggestion: teaching vibrato on the clarinet

[@TheShadowblast123]

Jokingly, this could be learned by being a flute player.

[@skarlatospanagiotis]

hahahhahhahhaahhha

[@BCCM152]

By the way..your judgement cam said Sept 26...Gershwin's Birthday! Fantastic video...one of your best. Bravo. Charles Yassky

[@arjunsom2392]

Charles Yassky And he probably recorded this video on the 26th and took 2 days to edit which came out on the 28th. Works both ways.

[@BeadsByAria]

As a clarinetist and student of bebop (favs Gervase Depeyer, bird, trane, bud Powell ) I love your "there is no jazzy" comment. finally someone else gets it! Wish you lived in Denver, would love to chat!

[@gigglepantsiii826]

I learned clarinet through public school and if my fellow players moved as much as you I'd have gone home covered in bruises. Our chairs were practically touching even when there was more than enough space

[@blangermatthieu]

Thanks for the insight! I noticed like you the F# D thing. I'm mostly a jazz clarinetist and just started working on this cadenza this week. This is my favorite concerto for clarinet. Specially because it was written for Benny. I played an hommage to him at a jazz festival where I transcribed and played arrangements he did with Red Norvo with a great vibe player and rythm section; great fun!

[@saxefoner]

Apparently Copland was in Brazil while writing this and the local music influenced him. A clarinet soloist on KZbin recently pointed this out, that knowing this helped him interpret the Concerto in a new way.

[@byxPaU]

Amazing!! I want play this concert any day

[@TheShadowblast123]

Can you play artie shaw's clarinet concerto?

[@mathijslemmens9727]

YES that's a REALLY good suggestion and he has to them on bass clarinet as well on Bb clarinet, that would be awesome

[@lowreedman]

Great stuff. thanks for sharing. Great start to my week. Makes me want to go learn the cadenza again. It's been a Loooooong time since I looked at it. Hmmm......

[@Bassoon01]

Excellent! Michael!! - Do you know that Boosey & Hawkes has finally published Copland's original version? Look on Hal Leonard's website. I was asked if I wanted to do this when I was at Boosey in the 90's - I thought long and hard about it and decided not to because I thought since it was Goodman's commission, the version that he and Copland agreed upon should be the only available. But I could've gone the other way, nice to see it available. Best, Harry Searing

[@edwardmorton6691]

You're very entertaining and extremely interesting to listen to. I understand what you mean about the Jazz aspect of interpreting this music. It makes a lot of sense given the time it was composed and the player it was composed for. I'm not sure if a classical or a literal reading of the notes , time signature, etc would work just as well as you have described it. I'm going to have some interesting studying checking out the various players and how the tackle it. I'm sure some are bound to be hilarious.

[@wrdrennan]

Great! Now let's hear it on bass clarinet! ;-) -Nice interpretation. Learned something.

[@Waldvogel45]

bloody marvellous; how dare you be so bold in your basement. !!! I gotta loop this , Dude !! thanks so much PS any jazz musician would recognise the altered chord and Aaron was into into that

[@danmcbmusic]

great playing and analysis! thank you. I'd like to hear you play some out-and-out swinging jazz clarinet!

[@anythingandeverything6151]

Awesome stuff.

[@stumaclean111]

My favourite concerto to play with orchestra especially vs. piano.

[@mdickinson]

"This dude is the Bruno Mars of his generation."

[@medusa210562]

I would really like to know what mouthpiece that is Or at least kind of opening and fading length

[@seltzerwater1013]

I would love to hear this on bass clarinet

[@billducker7404]

Lovely bright clarinet sound. Is it a Selmer Signature clarinet God bless you and yours. Bill. UK

[@stormiethedark6355]

So if you think there's a distinct separation between jazz and classical, what's your opinion on the piece by Frank Ticheli called Blue Shades?

[@ZiSlepovitch]

I believe Mike makes a clear statement that it not about "what," but rather "how," which applies to the Ticheli's piece as well. That is, unless the composer leaves specific notes about the style of performance. There sure is a clear distinction between the two approaches (which both can be mastered by the same player). Also, some pieces call for more than one style of performance.

[@nicomomesso5163]

Super Bravo!!!

[@iangreer4585]

12:05- That A is actually in the original a C sharp, same for the G actually being a B

[@DaveMcKeownMusic]

thank you!

[@LarryShone]

Another piece of music I have to look for-the only Copland pieces I'm familiar with are the Fanfare for the Common man and Appalachian spring

[@klamfolmafo1747]

Can you play Tocatta et Fuga ? it would be amazing

[@noahstone3879]

I have found an online version of the score on the Boosey and Hawks website. Before the low E and final run at the end of the cadenza, there is an altissimo A that you say isn't an important note. But it is the penultimate phrase, and the highest note in the cadenza. In the online score I found, it says that it originally went (altissimo) A, B, (double alt.)C#, instead of A, G, A, and that this is one of the things Goodman wanted changed. C# makes a lot more sense since it is a tonal center. I would love to hear it that way.

[@michaelawad9804]

True but not many people can play double alt C# (although I can, nobody in my all state band/ including many veteran clari players can't reach it) so it would be extremely unreasonable to demand that, especially of those that randomly run across it.

[@hkpo20]

imagine later in the piece the original version goes to high "d".

[@noahstone3879]

Andrew Michael Simon that note Benny Goodman hit by accident in Carnegie Hall

[@rumba7]

I had to stop and look up Bruno Mars.

[@notallgarbage]

Man... you seem to be able to go 1 octave higher than me!! I can go reliably up to altissimo D. Unreliably up to F... I'm going to hit the subject with my clarinet teacher!

[@jakefrench2537]

What brand bass clarinet do you use

[@emalikesmusic19]

Selmer I believe.

[@clementclarinet]

You might be surprised how many clarinet players don't know how to actually play ... I think you would be a great performer.. I'm not sure how much performing you do, but you would be a great one!

[@canibfamous]

Anyone know of a sheet available online?

[@RossiniSoprano]

This piece is published by Boosey and Hawkes.

[@ronshields4776]

What M.P do you use?

[@TheAvgCommentator]

I can't find where he has said what mouthpiece he uses on soprano clarinet, he uses a Vandoren B50 on bass clarinet and his clarinet sounds like the same type of thing, either a B46, B40 or a B45 in order from narrowest to widest tip opening.

[@alexphipps4912]

Too hard for Benny Goodman!

[@noahstone3879]

Have you heard Eddie Daniels's version of the Copland Concerto on youtube? He takes it to a whole new level of jazz

[@RossiniSoprano]

Dude...you're totally an ENTJ, aren't you?

[@hkpo20]

very good food for thought. But don't forget, in the original version, the last eighth note passage in the cadenza goes to a high C# (one of your first tier notes) rather than "just" an A. But conversely, the entire cadenza doesn't end on a first tier, F#. It lands on "only" a high A. Thanks for this. I will re-examine my interpretation.

[@blangermatthieu]

Benny Goodman stated to Copland that he could only go up to high Bb... So they changed it.

[@blangermatthieu]

True fact ;-)

[@Yuppie.Mike.]

Benny Goodman commissioned the piece from Aaron Copland.

[@Yuppie.Mike.]

I learned to play this piece when I was in 10th Grade by listening to the recording of Benny Goodman. He swings the eighth notes in the Cadenza