Rochelle Goren

Bei mir bist du schean

composed by Sholom Secunda, arranged for Clarinet Duet by Helmut Hodl

What makes some songs great, maintaining popularity over decades?  One reason is if the song can be adapted and performed by a variety of singers, musical styles and musical groups.  This is the case with “Bei mir bist du schean.”  This song was written in 1932 and first made popular by the Andrew Sisters.  Numerous performances have been recorded including my favorites:  Andrew Rieu’s Orchestra featuring their clarinetist as soloist and a recent wild rendition by the Hot Sardines.

A few years back, a clarinet friend of mine found a jazzy arrangement for two clarinets.  We performed it at an “open mike” and it was enthusiastically received.  Since my friend was unable participate in a recording, I decided to play and record both parts myself.  I hope that you enjoy it.

Love Theme from ‘The Godfather’

composed by Nino Rota, arranged for Clarinet trio by Harry Dexter

I agree with Mozart when he said “melody is the essence of music.”  And one of my favorite melodies is the “Love Theme from ‘The Godfather.’”  I discovered a clarinet trio arrangement of this piece where the 2nd and 3rd non melody parts complement the melody by harmonizing and aiding in the forward momentum of the phrasing.   

The recording of this trio was very difficult; I had to record each part 12 times to synchronize all the moving parts.   I believe that the difficulty was in the melody itself because it caused me to accelerate in some sections of the music and slow down in other parts but not at the same points in all the parts.  When I play in an “in person” ensemble, I use body cues from the other players to help the synchronization when the tempo is not uniform.  In orchestra, I keep my eye on the conductor.   I had neither.

I found myself humming the Godfather melody unconsciously for days during and after I completed the recordings; I was humming the non-melody parts too.  I hope that you find the “The Godfather” melody as beautiful as I do.

Mozart Clarinet Duets

from Selected Duets for Clarinet, Volume 1. Compiled and Edited by H. Voxman

I love Mozart Clarinet duets even though they were not written originally for the clarinet.  The parts are fun to play and always sound great.   It was very difficult to choose which duets to record – there are so many good ones.  The duets I chose are simple but elegant.  I hope that you enjoy them.