Shostakovich Symphony #1 1st Movement is an essential clarinet excerpt and has many solos that require clear articulation, good rhythm and energetic playing.

The above video clarinet lesson from the Online Classical Clarinet School with Ricardo Morales breaks down several of the clarinet solos.

The key to the first run is to start with a full sound but make sure the phrasing and clarity of the notes makes it sound like a crescendo. Then, after the initial big flow of the first run, the articulation for the following notes need to be short. It is especially important while playing forte´, that the throat notes do not lose focus or get flat.

From there, you need to maintain the intensity through the ensuing diminuendo which needs to be gradual.

In the second solo, #8, you have to make sure you play it faster, especially in an audition setting because the judges will be watching to make sure you play it as Shostakovich wrote it. The tempo is allegro non troppo which is a fairly brisk tempo, but keep in mind that it is marked 160 beats, so the tempo is actually quite fast.  Thinking in twos can help you nail the intense feel of this solo.

Sixteenth notes are very fast and they need to accentuated so they don’t sound like grace notes, especially when you slow it down to practice.

You can sign up for more free sample clarinet lessons from the Online Classical Clarinet School with Ricardo Morales by filling out the form.  At his online school, Ricardo  combines pre recorded clarinet lessons, etudes, excerpts and solos with the ability to submit practice videos to Ricardo and receive personalized video responses.

 

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Find out more about online clarinet lessons with Ricardo Morales at www.ricardoclarinet.com