An Interpretation of Stylistic Elements in Elie Siegmeister's Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra: A Performer's Guide

Elie Siegmeister ( 1909-1991) completed the Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestrain 1956. Jazz was a significant stylistic presence throughout Siegmeister' s compositionalcareer, and the clarinet concerto is considered to be a prime example of his life-longinterest.The greatest challenges to the classically trained clarinetist in the performance ofthe concerto are the authentic interpretation of jazz elements and the technical flexibilityrequired throughout. Tone, vibrato, articulation, and rhythm were explored with the useof sources that traced the history of the jazz idiom and presented an approach to itscontemporary application in the performance setting for the novice jazz musician. Theinfonnation was then applied to the concerto through an interpretive approach thatclarinetists might not only apply to this piece but to others within the body of literature.Additional exploration took place in the comparison of the piano reduction with theorchestral score and identification of the pedagogical challenges encountered within thesolo part.