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4 Bb Clarinets
Bb Bass Clarinet
The song used in this variation was originally a chanson popular in France in the latter half of the 18th century, and the title was "Ah, vous dirais -je, Maman (Oh, listen, mom)".
Variations on "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" have been tried by many composers, but this small version is a free personality variation based on relatively modern harmony. It was premiered by Yukio Ohashi, Risei Kitazume, and other members at the 3rd Japan Clarinet Association Concert in June of 1982.
The composition consists of a theme, four variations and an epilogue, and the harmony is altered from the first theme. Variation I needs synchronized tonguing. With Variation II, pay close attention to the first clarinet melody. In Variations III and IV try to not have heavy rhythms. Where two parts move in thirds, match timbres and hit accurate pitches.
In the epilogue, the melody is embedded in various parts like a mosaic. Play the theme so that it stands out amongst the detailed moving figures.
(Kazuhiro Morita)
