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Work : Nocturne
Composer : William Presser
Difficulty Ranking : IV
Publisher : Tenuto Publications
Year Published : 1976
Instrumentation : 4 Bb Clarinets or 3 Bb Clarinets and 1 Bass Clarinet
Potential Pedagogical Applications : Articulation matching, intonation (octave, unison, and chordal), ensemble mechanics, phrase matching, solo passages, tone development and blend, line independence
Sample Recording :
Where to Purchase Sheet Music :
Annotation : William Presser’s Nocturne is a relatively short work that spends much of its time exploiting the beauty of the low register of the clarinet. The work begins and ends in the low register at the piano dynamic. Overall, the work is technically approachable, but the difficulty comes in the independence of the parts. There are very few instances in which the players enter and play in the same rhythm. The players must also understand what is happening in the other parts to ensure that the entrances and handoffs are performed accurately. The range extends to G4, but the majority of the writing is focused in clarion and chalumeau registers.
