Report — Elia Foster

Elia Foster

Composer/Performer Orchestration Research Ensemble Report

14 April 2020
My Experiences with CORE

Interaction and experimentation rests at the heart of the ACTOR Project. As a member of the CORE Ensemble, I spent a year collaborating with musicians in order to gain a better understanding of how performers and composers can come together to orchestrate a unique work. This year of research demanded much of me as a performer, but rewarded me with new vigor in creation and research. This excitement lead me to think about the ways in which musicians can work together to create a more cohesive manner of orchestration. As a member of the ensemble, I was responsible for sharing information and feedback on my instrument as well as testing out the ideas of composers. This is something I can incorporate into my daily practice and collaboration moving forward. Participating in this project gave me a better understanding of my instrument and also helped me build confidence as a collaborator.

I had a great time participating in this course and feel as if I have gained much more from the experimentation and collaboration in this course than I would in a traditional class. This course gave me more confidence on my instrument as well as in the process of exploration between composer and performer. Overall, the demands of the course improved my musicianship and ability to communicate thoughts and research with those who may not be as familiar with my instrument. Throughout the year I had various expectations to meet in order to fulfill my part as an active performer and collaborator. The first demand was that I clearly and easily present the student composers with insider information on the bass clarinet. This process took place in two mini presentations, first individually and then with the other performers in the ensemble. I continued presenting information on the bass clarinet throughout the exploration period in which I tried new things that composers suggested and gave feedback on what they had written. I really enjoyed these phases as I found myself learning more about my instrument than if I was simply sitting alone in a practice room.

Many aspects of the bass clarinet that seemed self evident to me were not obvious to those who had not spent years studying the instrument. In order to thoroughly present the characteristics that made that bass clarinet stick out from other instruments, I had to pinpoint the things that drew me to begin studying the clarinet in the first place. It’s easy to be caught up in the process of practicing and preparing pieces without thinking about the individual things that make the bass clarinet such a wonderful instrument. Being asked to present to the class on the bass clarinet gave me the chance to fall back in love with the instrument. I began familiarizing myself with the instrument all over again and now have a newfound zest for conquering the difficult aspects of the instrument like extended techniques and the altissimo register.

The information that I shared on the bass clarinet fell into two categories: traditional techniques unique to the bass clarinet and extended techniques. Within the first category, I used the example of the instrument’s ability to appear out of nowhere and play dynamics that almost seem impossibly quiet. This technique could be exploited to have the bass clarinet sneak into certain sections with listeners barely capable of pinpointing the moment the clarinetist begins playing. But this characteristic of the clarinet also posed a challenge in creating a balanced dynamic with the other instrumentalists, who had limits to the levels of their dynamics. This is a challenge that I had always been aware of, but I had never thought about in relation to composers. I began thinking about how a composer must have knowledge on the clarinet’s dynamic range in order to compose in a way that will represent the balance they truly want. In moments where a composer called for a pianissimo, the bass clarinetist must discern whether or not the composer wanted a true pianissimo, or simply a soft dynamic that could blend easily with other instruments. In many cases, the written dynamic was taken as a suggestion, and I had to produce a sound that was quiet, but still audible with the other instruments. Other characteristics within this category include the incredible range of the bass clarinet in playing extremely low notes and very high notes.

I have noticed a trend within new music in which composers have been composing extremely high notes for the bass clarinet. This is interesting to me as a bass clarinetist because it often makes me wonder why the composers chose to write these notes for the bass clarinet and why they did not simply write for the soprano clarinet. It’s clear that composers always write with a specific intention in mind and although I may question the reasons behind choosing a particular sound, I now understand that I should approach this questioning as if I am unfamiliar with the instrument and am simply thinking about the sounds produced. Coming to a piece in this frame of mind has lead me to develop a clearer understanding of why composers choose to compose things that I sometimes find unnatural. These compositions only feel unnatural to me because I have spent so much time playing the bass clarinet in a very traditional manner and have rarely stepped outside of this conventional framework. I feel much more comfortable creating sounds that are not necessarily beautiful to clarinetists ears and am eager to stay outside of the traditional performance circle.

I have become more comfortable stepping outside of my comfort zone and have even come to a better understanding of how others perceive the bass clarinet. I have come to the conclusion that the bass clarinet playing double altissimo notes produces a timbre that the soprano clarinet can never reproduce. The bass clarinet has a remarkably dark and round sound that can be heard in all ranges and dynamic levels. Because of this the extremely high notes still have the rich and dark sound that the bass clarinet famously boasts as a characteristic. Producing notes in the altissimo range for the bass clarinet is definitely a challenge that I have been working to overcome, but I now appreciate the unique sounds produced in this register and am more excited to try out difficult techniques in this range. It is always possible to push the bass clarinet past what is traditionally accepted by adding extended techniques into the equation and I had a great time testing out new techniques with the composers in the course.

The second category I used in order to explain unique aspects of the bass clarinet was harder to explain as it includes extended techniques that vary from person to person and depend entirely on the performers ability to manipulate the mouth and breath to create unusual sounds. The techniques that I was capable of demonstrating in this category included multi-phonics, flutter tongue, double tonguing, glissandi, and growling. I found this category difficult to explain to composers because there are an infinite amount of sounds that a bass clarinet can produce, but it is incredibly difficult to learn to produce these sounds and each sound is not universally possible for each performer. Another difficulty within this group of techniques is the notation aspect which is also entirely dependent upon the performer. I took for granted the fact that many of the contemporary pieces I have performed have been written by clarinetists or with clarinetists and therefore are written in a very natural way for me. I now understand that it takes a lot of collaboration to write a piece in a way that accurately conveys what the composer wants to hear as what a composer imagines is often very different from what is heard. One thing that I wish I had incorporated into my presentation on the bass clarinet would be the inclusion of notational examples of each technique I described.

Throughout the process of collaborating with the composers I found that when one did not know the best way to notate a technique they would simply create their own symbol. This certainly created some confusion when working through the piece before class each Friday and I feel I could have alleviated some confusion by creating a document that includes the most commonly used notational devices for extended techniques. It was interesting thinking about this after our presentation on aural sonology because in one sense having new notational devices would allow the composer to convey the intimate details of the sounds they are looking for, but it also limits the control the composer has over what the performer plays. The notation system is nice in one way as it allows the performer to bring their immense knowledge of their instrument into the performer by choosing the sounds they want, but it also makes it difficult to discern whether or not the performer is truly performing in the way that the composer wants. I would love to continue exploring the idea of aural sonology with other performers and composers that I come in contact with and want to explore the challenges and benefits of the system.

Presenting on the unique aspects of the bass clarinet has truly changed my thinking on orchestration. Prior to this class I had given very little thought to the idea of orchestration and rarely even considered the ways in which various instruments interact in order to create a complete ensemble sound. The experience of watching composers work to create a new piece that includes an unusual orchestration has helped me understand the ways in which the blends of instrumentation can create a cohesive sound. I feel less like a clarinetist entering a rehearsal with a microscopic view of how my instrument connects with the others and more like a musician capable of exploiting the moments where my instrument should take center stage as a unique sound or where I should truly blend with the sounds of other instruments. I think that developing this well rounded approach to performance can positively impact my musicianship on all levels.

One way that I have felt myself growing as a musician is through my ability to express my thoughts on new music and what the bass clarinet can and can’t do. I think that as a student clarinetist it can be difficult and scary to know when to say that a technique or passage is possible and when it isn’t possible. Confidently speaking about extended techniques is particularly difficult for the clarinet where most techniques produced are not visible to the eye. Extended techniques often appear to be flippantly incorporated into a piece with little thought as to who will be performing these techniques. I think I have become better at explaining what I can and can not play and suggesting alternatives for techniques that I am unable to perform. It is always important to do as much of what a composer wants as possible, but at the same time when certain techniques are absolutely impossible at a given time, the musician must find a way to mimic or fake the sounds as accurately as possible. Participating in this course has also given me a desire to continue collaborating with composers as much as possible.

I have found that speaking with and listening to composers has had a really powerful and positive effect on me and those I have spoken to. It’s very helpful to be asked questions by people who may not know as much about the clarinet as I do. I have found that I have learned more about my instrument by explaining it to others. I would love to continue pushing the bass clarinet to the extremes with composers and finding ways to incorporate unusual sounds into compositions that can be enjoyed and understood by a variety of people. Some of the most rewarding aspects of this course came from my explanations of the bass clarinet which pushed me to think about the bass clarinet in a more well-rounded way and through the fast paced experimentation that took place once composers began brainstorming their ideas.