Around the world with three clarinets

The collection Clarinet trios from around the world contains ten trios in different musical styles from all over the world, edited by Florian Bramböck. The Austrian composer and arranger performs on stage as a saxophonist with various bands and was a member of the Vienna Art Orchestra. He also works as a teacher in Salzburg and Linz.

Half of the pieces are Bramböck's own compositions, the rest are arrangements of well-known titles: there is the thirties hit You are beautiful with me to be found alongside Miriam Makeba's classic Pata Pata or the Irish ballad Danny Boy. The arrangements sound very good, are lively and don't just go straight ahead, but offer interesting harmonic or rhythmic twists. In his own compositions, Bramböck offers an oriental, playful Danse Marocainea rousing boogaloo Mardi Gras or a rhythmically challenging cha-cha-cha with the amusing title El puesto de las butifarras (The bratwurst stand).

The pieces are at an easy to medium level of difficulty and require rhythmic confidence and experience in playing together. Technically, they do not place excessive demands on the performers. The range is generally up to c''', but in some pieces the first part goes up to a maximum of e'''. By selecting pieces typical of the genre, Bramböck makes it possible to work on different styles as examples in ensemble lessons.

All the pieces in this booklet are equally enjoyable to play for the performers and a pleasure to listen to for the audience.

Florian Bramböck, Clarinet trios from around the world, UE 35568, € 19.95, Universal Edition, Vienna 2013