Document Type

Theses, Masters

Rights

Available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International Licence

Disciplines

Performing arts studies

Publication Details

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of Music degreeDublin Institute of TechnologyConservatory of Music and Drama.

Abstract

The investigation of the emergence of solo bass clarinet music in Ireland evolved out of my experience learning Irish contemporary bass clarinet music with Dr Paul Roe. The intention was to discover why there had not been any solo bass clarinet music in Ireland prior to 2000, as well as to determine which events influenced the creation of the repertoire.

Data from interviews was vital to understanding how the bass clarinet repertoire in Ireland has steadily grown since 2000 and a search through The Irish Times archives provided information about bass clarinet activity in Ireland. A list of solo bass clarinet repertoire by Irish composers was compiled using the Contemporary Music Centre’s online database, composers’ websites, and Roe’s personal collection of music. It was revealed that a significant amount of compositions were written for or premiered by Roe. Events in his career affected his interest in bass clarinet specialization, including his involvement with Concorde and collaborations with Harry Sparnaay. The importance of combining solo and chamber music performance is mirrored in the careers of Josef Horák, Sparnaay, and Henri Bok.

Five pieces were chosen from the repertoire to demonstrate the diversity and explorative nature of many compositions by Irish composers. These pieces are Continuum by Rob Canning, O Breath by Michael Holohan, Monster by Ed Bennett, Composure by David Bremner, and Periastron by Gráinne Mulvey. Two more pieces, Rattle by Amanda Feery and Stung by Frank Lyons, were examined in detail. All of the compositions were analysed from a performer’s perspective. Composers were influenced by Roe’s open-minded and creative approach to bass clarinet performance, and the repertoire reflects this.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.21427/f45h-xs11

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