This site is home to Alea Publishing & Recording, specializing in music for the bass clarinet.
We offer a growing catalog of creative, artistic transcriptions and new works for bass clarinet solo & ensemble.
This work, attributed to early in Beethoven's output, was left as an unfinished manuscript, just two movements of what likely was intended to be a three- or four-movement work. The lack of dynamics or articulation marks leave much up to the performers when playing the opening Allegro-style movement and the Minuet and Trio which follows.
This transcription allows for the work, originally for viola and 'cello, to be comfortably played on clarinet and bass clarinet. One or both movements could make a lovely addition to a recital, or would make an excellent choice for a contest piece. The reference in Beethoven's title to 'obligato eyeglasses' is explained in a letter by the young composer to a friend, apparently because both would need to wear their glasses in order to read through his newly-composed duet!
Extended-range instrument NOT required. Duo Score: 11 pages.
PDF Edition
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Listen to the work in its original instrumentation:
Kim Davenport
President
Duo Alea, the father-daughter duo of Michael and Kimberly Davenport, began performing music for bass clarinet and piano in 1996. As performers searching for new repertoire and teachers working with students eager to develop as performers, it quickly became clear that there was a need for more repertoire featuring the bass clarinet. Filling this need became the mission of Alea Publishing & Recording.
Since our first publication in 1997, the Alea catalog has now grown to include over 300 titles. We pride ourselves on the accuracy and quality of our sheet music, as well as our ability to ship directly to customers around the world.
We are proud of the diversity of our catalog in terms of the inclusion of works by composers and arrangers from around the world. We are interested in continuing to expand this diversity, representing musical ideas from around the world.
Following Michael's passing in 2019, Kim has taken over solo management of Alea Publishing. In 2020, Alea established the Dolphy Prize, an annual composition award for new works for bass clarinet by black composers.
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