é•tude

noun

a short musical composition, typically for one instrument, designed as an exercise to improve the technique or demonstrate the skill of the player

Every serious young clarinetist studies the etudes of Cyrille Rose—both books of the 40 Studies and the 32 Etudes — but who was he and why are these etudes such a cornerstone of our pedagogical repertoire?

 Chrysogone Cyrille Rose studied at the Paris Conservatoire under another giant of the clarinet world: Hyacinthe Klosé (see the big orange book). During his time studying with Klosé he won the coveted First Prize in 1847 playing Solo Bolero composed by his teacher. (Klosé composed all of the ‘Concours Solos’ during his tenure as Professor from 1838–1868). From 1857 – 1891 Rose served as Principal Clarinet of the Paris Opera. He also assumed the role of Professor of Clarinet at the Paris Conservatoire following Adophe Leroy (who succeeded Klosé). There he taught some of the most prolific clarinetists of the late 19th century including Louis Cahuzac, Paul Jeanjean, Henri Lefebvre, Henri Selmer, and Alexandre Selmer. He is also credited with composing the cadenzas of the Weber Concertos and popularizing those works (using them as the first ‘Concours Solos’ of his tenure).

 My history with the Rose 32 Etudes began in high school as they were the required technical and melodic prepared pieces one had to play in order to qualify for the Florida Bandmasters Association All-State Band. Each year two etudes were chosen out of the book by the audition committee — just as they are laid out alternating technical study with a more lyrical study throughout the manuscript, so were our chosen prepared requirements. The etudes were not selected randomly, but also were not chosen sequentially.  Each year I would wait with bated breath to see which of Cyrille Rose’s devious compositions awaited me.

I approached this project with a perspective that was completely different than my first trip through the book in the late 90’s. For one, when I first studied these etudes with my beloved teacher Phil Shapiro I was such a novice on my instrument—still learning and perfecting my technique, agonizing over articulation issues, searching for my “voice”. When I think back now to the first time I cracked open this book I can’t believe it—I had only been playing my instrument for 3 years! Now the study of my instrument has encompassed more than two-thirds of my life. Revisiting such a monumental work now with my gained technical expertise and a refined musical voice has undoubtedly been a different experience. (Especially as compared to the time-strapped, throw-everything-at-the-wall frustration of being young and desperate to be better.) I was excited to re-study these etudes now because I wanted to play them, not because I had to, or because I was assigned them.  

 The goal was to work through the book in sequential order, and not move on until I had studied each etude enough to have a technically precise and musically pleasing audio representation.  I honored all dynamic, articulation, and style markings to a tee (and took all repeats). There are a few obvious errors in the Carl Fischer edition, but that is the version I prefer, so I corrected glaring harmonic inconsistencies so as to sound logical.

 An interesting aspect of this project is how it has straddled some changes that I personally made in my equipment and set-up along the way. During the course of the project I purchased a new set of clarinets, switched mouthpieces a few times, experimented with different reed brands and sizes, and also played around with my recording set-up and equipment. Maybe I should have kept more accurate notes of these changes as I went, but perhaps it’s better that I didn’t—as I’ll always have my ear tuned to the ‘me’ in my playing, as opposed to my equipment. Another note about my adventure revisiting these etudes—I mostly played these on my Bb clarinet, but every now and then the inspiration would strike and I would play them on my A—I believe them to be valuable pieces of teaching literature on either instrument, as well as on Eb and Bass.