Title:
|
The clarinet in Greece : a historical outline with examination of performing issues in a selection of pieces by Greek composers
|
The ability of the clarinet to adapt to the demands of many musical styles has always
managed to fascinate players and composers. Used worldwide in interpreting a variety
of musical styles, it gradually became popular and often replaced other instruments in
orchestras, ensembles and bands. In western music, composers felt its significance
and began increasingly using it in orchestras as a solo instrument. As a result, the role
of the clarinet gained a considerable level of importance, leading it to be used in
ensemble and solo pieces. Its technical capabilities, which in many respects exceed
those of other woodwind instruments, led to the expansion of the repertoire for the
clarinet.
This thesis outlines the history of this instrument in Greece and examines its use in
selected representative works. The clarinet is among the most popular woodwind
instruments. In Greece, it arrived in the 1830s and it has been greatly involved in
traditional and western-style music. As part of Greek traditional music, the clarinet
flourished in mainland Greece. Simultaneously, the western style of clarinet
p,erformance was developed in the Ionian Sea Islands, and its significance since the
mid nineteenth century has grown. Although the two styles do not share many
common aspects, they happily co-exist.
Unlike the traditional clarinet, which was used primarily in folk ensembles, the
western-style instrument was part of a number of wind bands and orchestras. As the
First Greek National School of composers evolved, its members (e.g. M. Kalomiris,
N. Skalkottas and P. Petridis) commenced writing western-style orchestral pieces
based on folk melodies. In music by Greek composers, the western-style clarinet was
gradually established and elevated as part of the orchestra by playing in a more
refined style the solo tunes of traditional music. Attempts have been made over the
last decades to combine the two performance styles. Colours in Double by Kiriakos
Sfetsas is an example of a piece for traditional solo clarinet and orchestra. Nowadays, composers increasingly write pieces for the instrument, solo or in various
combinations. This thesis examines a small selection of works for solo clarinet. 3
Likes by Theodore Antoniou and Charisma by Iannis Xenakis are chosen as
representative examples of Greek clarinet avant-garde music. The solo piece by
Antoniou (10 Fantasias for Solo Clarinet) and the piece by Dinos Constantinides
(Fantasiafor Solo Clarinet) are also discussed for their technical and musical aspects.
|