Blue Shamrock emendations

From: Henning, Karl
Sent: Friday, May 16, 2008 7:42 AM
To: Lux Nova Press
Subject: RE: Blue Shamrock

The change is this: The original m.121 is 5/16, beginning with a sixteenth-rest. Change this to 7/16, adding an eighth-rest before the sixteenth-rest. Small chunk of extra time by the clock, but crucial breathing-space (literally) which is value-added.

[ Added 29 Oct 2009: ]

I.

The other necessary change (again, doesn’t have to be now, as I’ll just play it ‘corrected’, anyway) is an ossia for the first measure of the last system (there’s ample space, happily). Fact is, it feels like I’ve played it differently forever, and I wonder how early a version of the Finale file I must have sent you, back in the day, that this measure is unchanged.

Anyway: the way I have (practically) always played that last quintuplet, I’ve played the B-flat two octaves higher, and the E one octave higher (so that the entire gesture is a descending arpeggio). I don’t mind leaving the figure as printed, for an alternate version, though.

II.

Over the past two-three years, an idea has phased in and out of my favor, of modifying the metronome markings. (Would other clarinetists be more apt to take a look at the piece, if slower tempi were ‘authorized’? And hasn’t the composer himself taken the piece under tempo at need?) I’m a little surprised that I didn’t suggest specifics at the same time as my meter change advisory, above. At this point, I don’t have strong feelings either way; a little inclined to leave the markings be. (Let the marking indicate the composer’s wishes, and some players will take it somewhat slower anyway, right?)

In case you feel that we might as well, though:

· The dotted-quarter at the opening Vivo can be marked 124-138

· And the quarter-note at the Poco meno mosso at the bottom of p.5 can be marked 110-124

All that said: I still think this is one firecracker of a piece. Don’t think I’ll ever tire of playing it.

Cheers,
~k.