Crane School of Music | SUNY Potsdam

Woodwinds Audition Information

Bassoon

Please prepare two contrasting movements or pieces, one fast/technical and the other slow/lyrical. Example works include:

Besozzi, Sonata; Galliard, Six Sonatas; Fasch, Sonata; Telemann, Sonata in F Minor; Hurlstone, Sonata in F; Mozart, Concerto; Rosetti, Concerto in B Flat; Saint-Saëns, Sonata in G; Vivaldi, Concerti; Weber, Concerto in F; Weber, Hungarian Fantasy; Hummel, Concerto.

Clarinet

Clarinet candidates should prepare:

- One Level 5 or 6 NYSSMA solo (such as Mozart or Weber Concertos, Weber Concertino, Poulenc Sonata, or equivalent repertoire)

• - Two contrasting etudes (fast/slow; Rose: 32 Etudes is recommended)
• - All major scales, in 16th notes, quarter note = 80 (three octaves for E, F, F# and G octaves, two octaves for all others).

Bass Clarinet

Bass clarinet candidates should prepare:

• - One Level 4 to 6 NYSSMA solo (such as Kibbe Sonata, Bozza Ballade, Bennett Deepwood or similar; B-flat works played on bass     are also acceptable)
• - Two contrasting etudes (fast/slow, Rose: 32 Etudes is recommended)
• - All major scales, in 16th notes, quarter note = 80 (full range)

In addition, sight-reading is required during all clarinet auditions. If you have any questions about repertoire selections, please contact the clarinet studio faculty.

Flute

Please prepare two contrasting sections or movements from two contrasting styles or periods of music. In addition, students may be asked major and chromatic scales, as well as an example of sight-reading. Example works include:

Sonatas: J.S. Bach, Handel, Hindemith, Marcello, Poulenc, Telemann.

Concerti: Boccherini, Devienne, Haydn, Ibert, Mozart, Nielsen, Pergolesi, Quantz, Telemann.

Other solo pieces: Bloch, Suite Modale; Chaminade, Concertino; Debussy, Syrinx; Donjon, Offertoire; Doppler, Hungarian Fantasie; Fauré, Fantasie (or other French Conservatory pieces); Honegger, Danse de la Chèvre; He, Serenade; Kennan, Night Soliloquy.

Suites and fantasies: Telemann, J.S. Bach. Other pieces of comparable difficulty also are acceptable.

Oboe

Please prepare two contrasting movements or pieces, one fast/technical and the other slow/lyrical. Example works include:

Telemann, Six Partitas; Handel, Sonatas and Concertos; Cimarosa, Concerto; Marcello, Concerto in C Minor; Nielsen, Romance; Schumann, Three Romances; Mozart, Concerto; Haydn, Concerto; Telemann, Concerto in D Major; Hindemith, Sonata.

Saxophone

Students should prepare one Level 5-6 NYSSMA solo, exhibiting both technical and lyrical playing, such as Sonata by Paul Creston, Concerto in Eb by Alexander Glazunov, Sonata by Bernhard Heiden, or Tableaux de Provence by Paule Maurice. 

Students should also prepare all major, harmonic minor and chromatic scales from memory. For scale expectations, please see here.

Candidates should play their audition on the saxophone they are most comfortable with, but understand that they will be expected to play alto saxophone for at least the first four semesters of study at Crane.

                                                                                                                  Updated on 04/01/2019