Clarinet Quartets, edited or arranged by John Kilpatrick
 (and some trios and quintets)
John Kilpatrick's
Home Page		 Saxophone music
Quartets - considerable
overlap with the clarinet music. 		Bass clarinet transpositions Trombone/Sackbut & other brass music
click the above to download it

All the below are in the public domain and may be freely used; please preserve any copyright notices.
PLEASE NOTE: I may not liberally add expression, slurs, etc., especially to early music. Absence of these does not mean play unmusically!

All the pieces on this page are now in MuseScore 3. MuseScore 4 has now been released, but if this is used the layout of the pieces may be incorrect; in
particular, the paging may be wrong (e.g. one page + a few bars on the next page). Both the latest and older versions of MuseScore can be downloaded for free from here .
There are likely also to be format problems with Music XML. Some midi files contain unwanted pauses and unpaused run-ons on play-back

Clarinet Music
(quartets plus the odd quintet or trio)		  S = Bb clarinet; A = Eb Alto clarinet; B = Bb bass clarinet

   = PDF;    = MIDI;    = MuseScore;    = XML

HANDEL

Largo from Xerxes
(Ode to a tree)

 Clarinet quartet SSSB or SSAB
           		The solo line (Xerxes) is given to instrument 1, while the upper line from the short orchestral sections is given to another instrument, as indicated in the parts.

Lascia Ch'io Piango

 Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		The solo line (Almarina) is given to instrument 1, while the upper line from the short orchestral section is given to another instrument, as indicated in the parts.

MOZART

Rondo from K298
(flute quartet in A)

 Clarinet quartet SSAB or SSSB
           		Transposed down a third to concert F. Alto clarinet recommended for 3rd part.

Voi Che Sapete

 Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		From Act II of Le nozze di Figaro; some adjustment of approach to the underlying arpeggios has been made to make them more suitable for clarinet.

J S BACH

Air from Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major

 Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		Otherwise known as Air on a G string.
Transposed to C major (concert).

GILES FARNABY

Farnaby Suite
testing

 Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		Arranged from the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book:
    Farnaby's Conceit / Giles Farnaby's Dream / His Rest / His Humour

LOUIS COUPERIN

La Piemontoise

 Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		A short lively piece originally for harpsichord.

JOHN KILPATRICK

Many of the pieces are arrangements of JK's choral works.

Conceits for Tarogato

 Clarinet quartet or solo Bb instrument (esp. tarogato)
with clarinet trio;  SSSB or TgSSB
           		Composed originally for tarogato and piano, but converted to solo tarogato and clarinet trio (SSB); equally valid for clarinet quartet, or with soprano sax as the solo instrument.
A 5-minute suite of 6 short pieces.

Come Live with Me

 Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		An instrumental version of a choral piece written for a wedding on words by Christopher Marlow: "Come live with me and be my love" (verses 1-5).

Gone are the Days

 Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		Another converted choral piece suitable for a funeral or other time of memory; secular or sacred.

The Knave of Hearts

 Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		An instrumental version of a choral piece on words by Gelett Burgess: a clever poem based on features of the card game Euchre.

Fugue in 24 keys

 Clarinet quintet SSSSB or SSSAB
           		A short fugue (1.5min) which cycles round all major and minor keys.

Excursion in Three Parts

 Clarinet trio SSB
           		A piece for 3 instruments in 3 movements. Think of some short walks out from the hotel when on holiday.

Two Homer Sonnets
 1. On first looking into Chapman's Homer / 2. To Homer

 Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		 From the choral version, transposed to clarinet pitch. In concert pitch the iharmonies are influenced by a rule that nouns starting A-H centre on chord of that note. Keys (in clarinet pitch) Eb major & C# major. The music is presented without key signatures.

PERCY SNOWDON

Betelgeuse

 Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		A haunting piece arranged from a composition for mixed choir, based on a poem by Humbert Wolfe. Please see Percy Snowdon's page.

MADRIGALS

"Fair Phyllis"
Three madrigals based on Phyllis

 Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		Fair Phyllis - John Farmer
Phyllis, Farewell - Thomas Bateson
Amyntas with this Phyllis fair - Francis Pilkington

Four English Madrigals

 Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		April is in my mistress' face - Thomas Morley
Weep, O mine eyes - John Bennet
Adieu, swet Amaryllis - John Wilbye
Construe my meaning - Giles Farbnaby

Sweet Honey-Sucking Bees

 Clarinet quintet SSSSB
           		John Wilbye

PURCELL

Dido's Lament & Chorus

 Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		From Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneus.
  Thy hand, Belinda (recit.)
  When I am laid in earth (air)
  With drooping wings (chorus) [not in quintet version]
Clarinet quintet SSSSB or SSSAB
          

3 tunes from King Arthur

 Clarinet quartet SSSB or SSAB
           		From Purcell's opera King Arthur:  Come if you dare / How blest are shepherds / Fairest Isle

Passacaglia from King Arthur

 Clarinet quartet SSSB or SSAB
           		"How happy the lover" from the fourth act. Violin & Oboe phrases generally represented by swapping between 1st & 2nd parts; solo tenor given to 3rd part; some phrases added in lieu of continuo.

Rondeau & Air from Abdelazar

 Clarinet quartet: SSSB
           		The famous Rondeau from Purcell's Abdelazar Suite, and the Air that follows it - numbers II and III in the suite.

Thou Knowest, Lord

 Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		Anthem; words included in the parts.

If Music be the Food of Love

 Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		4-part arrangement allowing for either one verse or two.

Chaconny

 Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		Transcribed from the string quartet.

BUXTEHUDE

Canzonetta in G

 Clarinet quartet SSAB or SSSB
a)          
b)           (SSAB only)		 A 2-section fugal canzonetta for organ.
a) in the original key
b) transposed down a tone

Fugue in G

 Clarinet quartet SSAB or SSSB
a)          
b)           (SSAB only)		 A double fugue; it immediately follows the canzonetta in the organ book.
a) in the original key
b) transposed down a tone

XMAS

Jingle Bells

 Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		original composer James Lord Pierpont; arrangement by John Kilpatrick
Little Donkey Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		original composer Eric Boswell; arrangement by John Kilpatrick
Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		original composer Johnny Marks; arrangement by John Kilpatrick

VIVALDI

Pastorale from "Spring"

 Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		Transposed down from E to concert C (i.e. clarinet D);
some harmonies are added where the solo part would have been backed by continuo.

VIVALDI-BACH

Concerto in D major

 Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		Vivaldi's original (op.3 no.9) for solo violin and string quartet in 3 movements was transcribed by Bach for harpsichord (BWV972). Much was faithfully represented with necessary allowances for the keyboard, while other parts were embellished, notably the running bass lines in the 3rd movement. This clarinet quartet arrangement is based on a combination of the two versions, with some further tweaks by John Kilpatrick.

SUSATO
(Urtext)

DANSERYE - COMPLETE

 Described as "For all musical instruments"
 Superius / Contra-tenor / Tenor / Bassus
             (large files)		 "Het derde musyck boexken" (1551), also known as Danserye, in an urtext edition in which the 4 part books are combined into a score, as described here.

SUSATO
(arrangements)

Basse Dance No.8
  "Danse du Roy"

 Clarinet quartet SSSB or SSAB
           		Original pitch (transposed for the instruments).
Parts are 1 page each.

Basse Dance 7 & Rondo 7
(nos 7,19)
  "Entre du fol" & "Il estoit une filette"

 Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		Original pitch (transposed for the instruments).
Parts are 1 page each.

Basse Dance & Reprise
(nos 10,11)
  "Mon desir" & "Le cueur est bon"

 Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		Danserye no.10 transposed up a forth; no.11 transposed down a tone.
Parts 2 pages each.

Danserye Selection
Nos. 2,7,18,22,37,43,54,32

 Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		All or a subset may be played as a suite. The pieces have been transposed as necessary to lie within the range of the instruments.

Further Danserye Selection
Nos. 20,39,52,29,41

 Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		Another suite.
The first 3 pieces are on the same theme "Mille ducas en vostre bource".

Pavane no. 1  "Mille Regretz"
No. 37

 Clarinet quartet SSSS or SSSB
           		This one can be played on 4 x Bb clarinet. Transposed up a 5th.

Pavane & Galliarde "La Dona"
Nos. 38,50

 Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		Transposed up a 4th.

Basse Danses & Morisque
Nos. 9,6,5

 Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		Le Ioly Boys - Le Grand Dolours - La Morisque
transposed up a 4th

PACHELBEL

Canon

 Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		The bass clarinet is in bass clef transposing to avoid ledger lines. As there are only 8 notes repeated, this should not be difficult to learn. Low D required.
SCARLATTI Fugue in G minor K30
(Cat's Fugue)		 Clarinet quartet SSSB
           		Once supposed to have been inspired by the cat walking along the keyboard.