Any suggestions? I know I probly should have one selected already...I'm a junior. Let me know if you have any advice.

When is your audition? What is your skill level? I have said this before, though...DO NOT PLAY MOZART! Do you know how many people play that Concerto? Be different. Here are a few suggestions IMHO:

Slacker clarinet player who doesn't practice and is in lower half of section:
1. Lutoslawski - Dance Preludes (provided you're not slacking in your rhythms)
2. Brahm's 1 in F Minor
3. Brahm's 2 in Eb Major
4. Tartini - Concertino

Lots of ambition Clarinet Player in top half of section:
1. Copland - Concerto (be careful because they always want to hear that cadenza! Even if it's your "slow/lyrical" choice)
2. Poulenc - Sonata
3. Weber - First Concerto
4. Weber - Second Concerto
5. Nielsen - Concerto (Only think about this if you have LOTS of ambition and drive. It is a very hard piece that most graduate students play. I blew away the judges at my audition for college this last november with this. It got me a full scholarship, but be warned - the music is around 55-60 dollars and will take a while to learn the whole thing.)

As for any audition. Please prepare the WHOLE piece you are taking. There's nothing like killing an audition by them asking you to jump to a section (which they did in the Nielsen audition) and come to find out you hadn't prepared that section. You are not getting in very easily if that happens.

Good luck, and if you decide on any of these pieces and need any help with passages or whatnot please feel free to email me. I have performed them all.

-Dennis

Not Lutoslawski Dance predules - too poorly regarded by most professors and even if you get it perfect doesnt sound great.

Carnival of Venice either by Jeanjean or Giampieri
Corigliano Clarinet Concerto (this is another serious Serious work)
Shumann FAntasiastucke

See, and I HATE Carnival of Venice on clarinet. I guess it just depends on the person...I love the Dance Preludes. I does sound odd, but I am definitely into more modern music.

-Dennis

at least an 8 maybe 8.5. In return, personally I would rate the Mozart a 5/10. Toni, email me where you live, please. I might be traveling a bit in a couple months and might be able to do a sidetrip and meet up with you and practice some repertoire pieces with you. Like I said in the other post you posted...get the music...get LOTS of music. Broaden your music horizons.

-Dennis
P.S. I am guessing you live in the States, but I could be wrong!

Dennis you hate the Carnival of Venice? How is this possible? Modern clarinet music just isn't up to scratch - give me a Mozrt, Brahms, Weber anyday

I only said I Hate the Carnival of Venice on the clarinet. I do, however, love the Briccialdi Version that is named Il Carnevale Di Venizia. It is written for flute. It is really the only version I like. Listen to James Galway play it, and then tell me any version of clarinet Carnival would ever stand up to that!

-Dennis

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Plus I don't consider that a college audition piece. College audition pieces should be major works that aren't too overplayed.

Well I'm from Northern Ireland, I'm not too familiar with what ould be appropriate for a US college audition. I can see why something like the K.622 would be too typical to be good...

The Carnival of Venice (my version by Giampieri is called il Carnevale di Venezia) is more esoteric though, why should it be inappropriate? It is certainly not common in the UK.

PS Galway's Briccaldi arrangement is nice, as is Arban's trumpet arrangement, but listen to Emma Johnson, it beggars belief...

PPS On the note of Emma Johnson, what about Flight of the Bumblebee as an audition piece?

I'm not big on the bumblebee either for audition. I just got back from a James Galway Concert. It was fantastic, but it made me think. The thing I really wanted to hear was The Flight of the Bumblebee that he does. That's probably why I would never do it. When you hear someone famous like Galway play these pieces over and over I don't believe you have a chance in an audition. I believe the judges have heard these pieces done well SO many times that you are up against some pretty tough competition. One minor flaw, and there goes the audition. Whereas if you were to do something out of the ordinary (like Time pieces by Muczynski, or even the Bernstein Sonata) you create a name for yourself as someone who is up for a challenge and not just following the pack of auditioneers. When I emailed the Clarinet professor at the college I auditioned for, I mentioned that my audition piece was the Nielsen Concerto, and then asked him a question. He immediately remembered who I was, and it had been about a month and a half. Just make sure to practice up and do it well. Pieces like the Bumblebee and Carnival are more "Show Pieces" to me. I believe that judges look for orchestral work or Concerto/Sonata work at an audition. I have seen people take etudes and such to an audition, but why? I play etudes all the time to build up skill, but an etude is not part of my "repertoire". I will let you know this fall if the guy who played etudes got in! LOL He didn't get in the year before, so we will see. Tah Tah!!

-Dennis

ive been wondering this for a while... what is eveyrones opinion on Premeire Rhapsodie as an audition piece? i, too, am a junior and ive been working on this for youth try outs soon..

and carnival of venice is awesome

I think the Premiere Rhapsody is an awesome piece for audition. It's even better memorized.

-Dennis