Abrsm Grade 4 Clarinet, What pieces are we all learning/teaching? Options

[oldromola]

I have entered myself for grade 4 clarinet and am looking at the week commencing December 7th for the day of exectution.

Any way, I was wondering what other people are chosing. I originally chose A2 (Evening) B9 (Stick Together) and C2 (Study in C - The Turn) until my teacher pointed out the the A piece and the Study were both in C and were in fact really quite similar. I was then first of all instructed (yes instructed!) to start learning A3 (Widmung) and last week was told the Study in C was too easy for me and I should try C1, the Study No 32 by Chris Allen.

My teacher's point is that to improve one must continue to learn harder pieces, whereas I am well aware that I will not be awarded any more marks in the exam simply because I have chosen more difficult repertoire. However I beleive that the grade 5 pieces I shall want to play next summer (Mendelssohn and Lloyd Webber) are in quite a different league to any of those in the grade 4 book, so perhaps I really should take my teacher's advice. In actual fact I really like the Schumann piece (Widmung) although the speed indication of minum = 69 is patently too fast for this style of romantic music. I also like the Chris Allen study were it not for all those over-the break passages!

A piano pupil of mine is also taking grade 4 clarinet at the same centre this December and is determined to do better than her old piano teacher. She has chosen A2, B1 and the C2 Study.

[clarijo]

Ooh - that's a difficult one to answer! I do enjoy what I would call typical study book/repertoire type pieces but I also love playing jazz! I'm less keen on what I would call 'modern' pieces - I remember having to play Papagano(sp?) the Cat from Pets for 'O' level many moons ago and I'm still traumatised by the experience!! I played Finzi's Carol from Five Bagatelles for Grade 3 in 1986 but for 'classical' tend to prefer earlier than this. I have a copy of 50 Classical Studies which has a lot of studies written by 19th century composers and my favourites are definitely the Demnitz ones, so anything in a similar vein. I would also be interested in some Mozart or perhaps Bach? Any suggestions very welcome! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[barry-clari]

Ooh - that's a difficult one to answer! I do enjoy what I would call typical study book/repertoire type pieces but I also love playing jazz! I'm less keen on what I would call 'modern' pieces - I remember having to play Papagano(sp?) the Cat from Pets for 'O' level many moons ago and I'm still traumatised by the experience!! I played Finzi's Carol from Five Bagatelles for Grade 3 in 1986 but for 'classical' tend to prefer earlier than this. I have a copy of 50 Classical Studies which has a lot of studies written by 19th century composers and my favourites are definitely the Demnitz ones, so anything in a similar vein. I would also be interested in some Mozart or perhaps Bach? Any suggestions very welcome! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

OK (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) in which case you'll probably like the Mozart Divertimento no. 3 (mvts. 2 and 3 are on the current grade 5 syllabus, but do have a look at all of it). I think you'll like both the Mozart pieces in the grade 4 list too. You'd I think get on well with Frensham Pond by William Lloyd Webber too (grade 5 again, available separately or as part of the AB grade 5 blue book). Xavier Lefevre is another name to look for : I think you'll like his music too.

If you like Demnitz, I'd get hold of the full Demnitz Elementary School for Clarinet book (green cover, published by Peters) : you'll probably also like the studies in Pamela Weston's 50 Classical Studies book (orange and white striped cover, published by Fentone). That book has been around for ages (I did a study out of it when I did my grade 8 nearly 20 years ago), but it has stood the test of time very well.

[clarijo]

Ooh - that's a difficult one to answer! I do enjoy what I would call typical study book/repertoire type pieces but I also love playing jazz! I'm less keen on what I would call 'modern' pieces - I remember having to play Papagano(sp?) the Cat from Pets for 'O' level many moons ago and I'm still traumatised by the experience!! I played Finzi's Carol from Five Bagatelles for Grade 3 in 1986 but for 'classical' tend to prefer earlier than this. I have a copy of 50 Classical Studies which has a lot of studies written by 19th century composers and my favourites are definitely the Demnitz ones, so anything in a similar vein. I would also be interested in some Mozart or perhaps Bach? Any suggestions very welcome! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

OK (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) in which case you'll probably like the Mozart Divertimento no. 3 (mvts. 2 and 3 are on the current grade 5 syllabus, but do have a look at all of it). I think you'll like both the Mozart pieces in the grade 4 list too. You'd I think get on well with Frensham Pond by William Lloyd Webber too (grade 5 again, available separately or as part of the AB grade 5 blue book). Xavier Lefevre is another name to look for : I think you'll like his music too.

If you like Demnitz, I'd get hold of the full Demnitz Elementary School for Clarinet book (green cover, published by Peters) : you'll probably also like the studies in Pamela Weston's 50 Classical Studies book (orange and white striped cover, published by Fentone). That book has been around for ages (I did a study out of it when I did my grade 8 nearly 20 years ago), but it has stood the test of time very well.

Ooh - like the sound of these! I think I am right in saying that you have also mentioned Frensham Pond in a previous post, oldromola?

It is the Pamila Weston book which I use, so I've played some Lefevre already - I had a copy when I gave up (a little over twenty years ago!) and I bought it again when I discovered that it was still in print! The Baermann Tarantella is study number 26 (think this is on the current G5 syllabus) and this is about the limit of my playing at the moment. Some of the pieces towards the end look very advanced, so presumably this would see me through to Grade 8 (should I make it that far!) or possibly beyond? Good to hear that I'm not the only person who has ever used this book!!

I've been very close to buying the Demnitz Elementary School several times now but have always been sidetracked by other things - will definitely purchase now!

Many thanks for the recommendations - hopefully this will keep me busy for a while and get my fingers moving again! I will let you know how I get on! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clarinet.gif)