COPLAND CLARINET CONCERTO was composed 1947/8.
“The renowned jazz clarinetist Benny Goodman asked Copland to compose a work for him. The result was a two-movement concerto: the first section is one of Copland’s most lyrical and melodious creations; the second is in an all-out jazzy style replete with a glissando or jazz “smear” at the end. The movements are connected by a cadenza for the soloist. Benny Goodman said in an interview, “I always felt good about that commission and about playing the Concerto with Aaron conducting.” Since then, many of the foremost clarinetists worldwide have performed the piece.” https://www.aaroncopland.com/works/clarinet-concerto/
1962
Jack Harrison performed the Australian premiere of Aaron Copland‘s Clarinet Concerto with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, presented by the Australian Broadcasting Commission.
MUSIC – 3pm MARCH 11 1962 Fremantle
There will be an interesting programme at the W.A. Symphony Orchestra’s free concert in the Fremantle Town Hall at 3pm tomorrow. The orchestra and clarinettist Jack Harrison will perform a concerto by Aaron Copland and the orchestra programme will include Rossini’s “Thieving Magpie” Overture, and arrangement of Bach choral prelude and Mussorgsky’s “A Night on the Bare Mountain”. The West Australian Saturday March 10 1962
MARCH 14th 1963
An outstanding programme by the Perth Sinfonietta will be given in Winthrop Hall at 1.10pm next Thursday under the baton of Verdon Williams. This free recital is being presented by the A.B.C. as the first in a weekly series being sponsored by the University during the year. The Sinfonietta will play works by Berger, Copland, Delius and Vaughan Williams. The soloists will be Allyne Tilsed (flute) and Jack Harrison (clarinet).
Those attending the concert include Russian violinist Nelli Schkolniskova and W.A. resident conductor John Farnsworth Hall, who will be soloists and conductor in the first A.B.C. Youth Concert on March 19.
LUNCH MUSIC IS PROMISING – By Sally Trethowan – MARCH 14th 1963
The programme for this year’s free lunch-hour concert series held on Thursdays in Winthrop Hall is even more interesting and varied in type of music and number of performers than last year’s.
If the first concert given yesterday to a large audience by the Perth Sinfonietta, is any indication of the quality, the weekly programmes will be exciting musical experiences and a major contribution to musical life in W.A.
The Perth Sinfonietta always gives us an entertaining, thought-provoking programme. Conductor Verdon William’s introductory comments are instructive, to the point, and do not offend by being too technical or too long. The choice of composers in yesterday’s concert – Berger, Vivaldi, Copland, Delius and Vaughan Williams – leaned heavily towards the moderate, making the Vivaldi Flute Concerto (“The Goldfinch”) a pertinent, pleasant comment on, and exposition of, a more elegant and graceful age. The young flautist, Allyne Tilsed, who has just joined the W.A. Symphony Orchestra has a sureness of tone control which allows the most delicate innuendos without over or under emphasis. In Vivaldi’s “Goldfinch”, flute and strings chattered and trilled in animated conversation, whereas in the Copland Clarinet Concerto, a different symphonic relationship exists between orchestra and clarinet.
Clarinettist Jack Harrison interwove the sure mellowness of tone and bell-like clarity of his instrument into the orchestral texture of the work.
The brief overture of Jean Berger that began the programme and a Delius “Serenade” and Vaughan Williams “Fantasia on Greensleeves” which closed it, are works typical of the individuality of their composers, but have in common the fact that they make light and easy listening.
The West Australian March 15 1963
Allan Meyer performed the Copland in 2013, just after Jack Harrison passed away.
