Eric Whitacres Treatment of the Clarinet in Choral Transcriptions for Wind Ensemble

Rani Oliveira

MUS 455: Wind Band Literature

December 7, 2015
 Eric Whitacre is one of the most popular composers in the choral (and, to a lesser extent,

band) world today. As of this date his compositions include 49 SATB choral pieces (many of

which have been transcribed for other voice arrangements), 9 works for wind ensemble (4

original works, 1 orchestral transcription, and 4 transcriptions from original choral pieces), and

12 works for orchestra (3 transcriptions from original wind ensemble works, and 9 works for

orchestra and choir).1 Whitacre, as a relatively young and active composer, has few scholarly

writings devoted to his work. However, from 2006-2010, three post- baccalaureate papers have

been written examining Whitacres original and transcribed works for wind band, in addition to a

handful of articles regarding the subject. The purpose of this paper is to give a succinct

discussion of the existing information regarding the composers writing for wind band, giving

special focus on the treatment of the clarinet family in transcriptions of original choral pieces.

Whitacre, a native of Nevada, has seen astonishing success since the performance of his

first work in 1991. A Grammy-award winner, he is known for his lush harmonies and ground-

breaking use of technology and social media. More recently, his virtual choir projects, using

voices from all over the world to create an online choir performance, have earned over 15

million views on YouTube. Though unable to read music until attending college, Whitacre

earned a Masters degree from Juilliard in 1997, where he studied with David Diamond and John

Corigliano. Though primarily a choral composer, his works also include orchestral, electronic,

opera, and chamber compositions. More recently, Whitacre has composed for the Pirates of the

Caribbean franchise along with Hans Zimmer.2

1
Eric Whitacre, Music Catalog The Eric Whitacre Website, accessed December 6, 2015,
http://ericwhitacre.com/music-catalog/.
2
Ibid., Long Biography, The Eric Whitacre Website, accessed December 6, 2015,
https://ericwhitacre.com/biography/long.

1
 Eric Whitacres compositional style for his main genre, choir, has been described as

having freely applied a variety of late twentieth-century techniques clusters, aleatoric devices,

mixed rhythms, harmonically enriched tonalities, canonic ostinatos to choral settings of

eclectically chosen poetry3 Whitacre applies these techniques to his wind band music as well,

but in three out of his four original compositions for the genre uses percussive elements to move

the music forward instead of implementing the more rubato style of his choral pieces.

Whitacres first original composition for band, Ghost Train, was written between 1993-

1995 during his time as an undergrad at University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

The genesis of Ghost Train occurred while the UNLV Wind Ensemble was
rehearsing. Whitacre happened to walk by the rehearsal room and heard the
trombones doing a glissando and was mesmerized. He states, Literally that germ
was hearing those trombones do those glissandi and that gave me the idea, Ghost
Train. I thought, that would make such a great piece and it began to grow and I
could see the movie in my mind and somehow it began to resonate inside me. I
could see all these instruments that were clangy and reminded me of the power of
velocity, and I said to myself, you know this will work.4

At the time, Whitacre knew nothing of writing for the wind band medium, and learned as

he composed by working with instrumentalists and using the UNLV band, led by Thomas Leslie,

as his own compositional lab band for experimentation. This freedom allowed him the

opportunity to build a strong foundation of compositional techniques while developing his sonic

capabilities for wind instruments.5 Ghost Train is a strong, evocative composition that launched

3
Nick Strimple, Choral Music In the Twentieth Century (Pompton Plains, New Jersey: Amadeus Press
LLC, 2005), 250.
4
John H. Hairel, The Wind Band Music of Eric Whitacre with an Analysis and Discussion of Three
Choral Works Adapted for Band (DMA diss., University of Kentucky, 2009), 45, accessed December 6, 2015,
ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.
5
Ibid., 45

2
Whitacres career: The thing took off like a shot. Band directors began calling me at home,

trying to buy it from me, and my formal career as composer had begun.6

Godzilla Eats Las Vegas, Whitacres second compositions for band, was produced in

1996 while studying with John Corigliano at Juilliard as a commission by Thomas Leslie of the

UNLV Wind Symphony. The campy piece depicts Godzilla destroying the Las Vegas strip.7

October was commissioned in 1998 by the Nebraska Wind Consortium, which consisted

of 25 high school, college, and university bands. Of Whitacres original compositions for wind

band, October most closely resembles his choral aesthetic. The piece is lush and rubato, with the

composers trademark rich textures and harmonies. Based on the skill level of some members of

the consortium, the commissioned specified a grade 3-4 level piece.8 Brian Anderson, the

originator of the consortium, recalled, He was not up to date on the grades one through six in

the instrumental music. So he asked me for some examples.9

Whitacre recalls,

Writing a grade three work was an entirely different challenge. Its easy to write
your way out of a difficult corner with flashy, virtuosic material, but with easier
music your solutions must be simple, elegant, and functional. I worked hard to
create a piece that could be successfully performed by all of the high schools in
the consortium, yet never compromised its musical integrity. Frankly, writing
easy music is one of the hardest things Ive ever done.10

6
Eric Whitacre, Ghost Train, The Eric Whitacre Website, accessed December 6, 2015,
http://ericwhitacre.com/music-catalog/wind-symphony/ghost-train.
7
Eric Whitacre, Godzilla Eats Las Vegas (Eric Whitacre & Carpe Ranam Productions, 1996)
8
Brian Anderson, Commissioning October, The Instrumentalist 60 (September): 27.
9
Christopher David Ragsdale, A Formal, Historical, and Interpretative Analysis of Equus and October for
Wind Ensemble by Composer Eric Whitacre (DMA essay, University of Miami, 2006), 49, accessed December 6,
2015, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.
10
Eric Whitacre, October, The Eric Whitacre Website, accessed December 6, 2015,
http://ericwhitacre.com/music-catalog/wind-symphony/october.

3
 Equus was the next original work for wind band, commissioned by Gary Green of the

University of Miami and premiered in 2000. Unlike October, the piece (based on an electronic

sequencer sample) is moto pertpetuo and classified as grade 5-6. Whitacre comments, The final

result is something that I call dynamic minimalism, which basically means that I love to

employ repetitive patterns as long as they dont get boring.11

Noisy Wheels of Joy is Whitacres most recent original composition for band. It was

commissioned by the UNLV Wind Ensemble and premiered in 2002. It is another fast work in

the style of Godzilla Eats Las Vegas.12

Since 2002 Whitacre has composed no new works for wind band, though he has

transcribed four choral pieces: Cloudburst (composed in 1996, transcription published in 2001);

Lux Aurumque (composed in 2001, transcription published in 2005); Sleep (composed in 2002,

transcription published in 2003); and most recently, The Seal Lullaby (composed in 2009,

transcription published in 2012).

Whitacre has been candid about his difficulty writing for the wind band medium. In Mark

Camphouses series Composers on Composing for Band, Whitacre states: The band has an

extraordinarily difficult time playing softly. Solo, duet, and trio passages can be soft, but of

course, they lose the lushness of a large ensemble. I love to write soft, lush, sensual music, and I

still havent figured out how to do this with a band.13 In a 2015 Q&A on the popular website

Reddit.com, he says, For me, there is nothing more challenging than writing for bandthere is

11
Eric Whitacre, Equus, The Eric Whitacre Website, accessed December 6, 2015,
http://ericwhitacre.com/music-catalog/wind-symphony/equus.

12
John H. Hairel, The Wind Band Music of Eric Whitacre with an Analysis and Discussion of Three
Choral Works Adapted for Band (DMA diss., University of Kentucky, 2009), 48-49, accessed December 6, 2015,
ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.
13
Mark Camphouse, Composers on Composing for Band, Volume 2 (Chicago, Illinois: GIA Publications
Inc., 2004), 257.

4
no set of instruments (well, maybe clarinets) that are all in the same family and make a

homogenous sound from top to bottom (like voices or strings).14

Whitacres use of the clarinet thus far in his career has not yet fully explored the

capabilities of the instrument family. The range of a mixed choir generally spans three to four

octaves from E2 in bass to C6 in soprano.15 The standard Bb soprano clarinets range is from

(concert pitch) D3 to above F6. When including bass clarinet, the lower range expands to D2 or

Bb1, depending on the instrument. The clarinet is most adept at playing softly, though with

difficulty in higher ranges, and modern clarinet tone uses little to no vibrato, similar to the clear

style of singing heard in recordings of the composers hand-picked professional choir, the Eric

Whitacre Singers. Clearly the instrument has potential in replicating the aesthetic of Whitacres

choral compositions.

In 2010 San Jose State University masters student Daniel James Grassi published his

thesis An Analysis of Three Choral Transcriptions for Winds by Eric Whitacre, a

comprehensive and detailed study on Whitacres treatment of winds when transcribing his choral

music. Grassi focuses on the three transcriptions which had been published by that time:

Cloudburst, Lux Aurumque, and Sleep. He finds that Whitacres orchestrationspresent a

flexible approach to instrument groupings and that the composer writes in a fluid style,

expanding and contracting his orchestration as the work unfolds.16 Whitacre allocates his SATB

parts across instruments and families, alternating pairings to achieve different sonorities.

14
Eric Whitacre, I am Eric Whitacre, composer, conductor, 5th member of Depeche Mode (application
pending). AMA! Reddit: The Front Page of the Internet, accessed December 5, 2015,
https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2vzx7j/i_am_eric_whitacre_composer_conductor_5th_member/comnwt
x?context=3
15
Daniel James Grassi, An Analysis of Three Choral Transcriptions for Winds by Eric Whitacre (Masters
thesis, San Jose State University, 2010), 49, accessed December 5, 2015, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.
16
Ibid.

5
 When examining the clarinets in particular, the family nearly always contains all SATB

parts, and is paired with similar scoring in different instruments (usually brass).

Cloudburst, Whitacres first transcription of a piece that in 1993 won him first prize at

the American Choral Directors Associations Composers of the Future competition,17 was

commissioned by the Indiana Bandmasters Association for their 2002 All-State Festival. The

piece is evocative of a rainstorm and uses aleatoric devices such as improvised scale runs,

whispers, singing, and snapping. Whitacre comments on hearing the premiere of his first choral-

to-band transcription:

The way this new orchestration has transformed the piece is simply amazing to
me: I distinctly remember being at the first rehearsal and just being completely
speechless. Where the choral version is intimate and delicate, the version for
winds is strong and assured, and to my ears it sounds like its suddenly in
Technicoloron a 50-foot screen.18

The clarinet parts include divisi clarinet 1-3 and bass clarinet. The first clarinet part is

sourced from soprano and alto lines; second clarinet plays from all SATB parts; third clarinet is

allocated lines from soprano, alto, and tenor; and bass clarinet is sourced solely from the bass

line in the choral original.

Sleep was commissioned by the Big East Conference Band Directors Association for

their 2002 annual conference. In Sleep, clarinets are paired with horns and alternated with

flute/trumpet sonorities in the exchange off the melodic line.19 The piece is homophonic and

legato chorale, indicative of its subject matter. Divisi clarinet 1-3 parts and two bass clarinets are

used. In Sleep, the first clarinet play parts sourced from soprano and alto lines; second and third

17
Eric Whitacre, Cloudburst (Walton Music Corporation, 1996), 2.
18
Eric Whitacre, Cloudburst Performance Notes (Carpe Ranam Productions, 2001).
19
Daniel James Grassi, An Analysis of Three Choral Transcriptions for Winds by Eric Whitacre (Masters
thesis, San Jose State University, 2010), 61, accessed December 5, 2015, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.

6
clarinet plays parts sourced from soprano, alto, tenor, and bass; and bass clarinet plays solely

bass lines.

Lux Aurumque was commissioned by the Texas High School Band Directors and the

Texas Music Education Association for the 2005 Texas Symphonic All State Band.20 Similar to

Sleep, it is a sustained, chorale-like piece. It is scored for clarinet 1-3 and bass clarinet. Clarinet 1

and 2 are sourced from the soprano, alto, and tenor lines; clarinet 3 plays from all 4 SATB

sources; and bass clarinet carries lines from the alto, tenor, and bass parts

In all three of these transcriptions, Whitacre does not fully explore the capabilities of the

clarinets as a section, instead pairing them with other instruments for specific timbres, except in

portions where the instrument may be used to sustain very soft notes. To be fair, this is in

keeping with general practice for most wind band composers, and there is merit to exploring the

astounding array of pairings that can be done within such a varied ensemble. However, in a

complete study of Grassis Masters thesis, it appears that Whitacre as a composer explores no

new ground in voicing and instrumentation compared to his peers.

The genesis of this paper was an interest in both the works of Eric Whitacre and a

personal desire to explore the process of transcription of vocal parts for clarinet. Though

certainly a very successful, talented, and prolific composer, even by his own admission Whitacre

still struggles to find his voice in the wind band medium, and has yet to explore the possibilities

of different choirs of instruments. Due to his heavy load of commitments and projects, it is not

surprising that only commissions by bands have prompted works by Whitacre for wind

instruments. Were he to explore more possibilities for instrumental transcriptions, clarinet

especially seems a well-suited candidate for choral pieces due to its range, vocal qualities, and

20
Richard Miles, Teaching Music Through Performance in Band, Volume 6 (Chicago, Illinois: GIA
Publications Inc., 2007), 384.

7
dynamic capabilities. Arrangements for clarinet choir have been made by fans of Whitacre:

Sleep, arranged by Dalton Ringey;21 Water Night, arranged by David Shepherd;22 Lux Aurumque,

arranged by Jairo Velazquez;23 and October, arranged by Ryan Glass.24 These arrangements have

received some exposure online, though do not receive many, if any, concert performances. (This

is no doubt in part due to copyright infringement concerns.) Though in terms of intonation

clarinet choirs can be a tricky way of reimagining choral pieces, the performances of these

arrangements clearly show the potential of the clarinet in reproducing the same richness of choirs

that inspire Whitacres compositions. It is this authors hope that Whitacre will continue to push

his boundaries into different genres and experimentations with wind instruments.

21
Dalton Ringey, Sleep Eric Whitacre (Clarinet Choir) YouTube, May 9, 2013, accessed December 7,
2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cjCW6tz_B4.

David Shepherd, Water Night Eric Whitacre (clarinet choir) YouTube, April 14, 2011, accessed
22

December 7, 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obvWgGa42x4.

23
Jairo Velazquez, Eric Whitacre Lux Aurumque (Clarinet Choir) YouTube, May 21, 2012, accessed
December 7, 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYqUyQ1QoBw.

Ryan Glass, Eric Whitacre October (Ryan Glass, Clarinets) YouTube, May 10, 2014, accessed
24

December 7, 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czgzv5V4-Sk.

8
 Bibliography

Anderson, Brian. Commissioning October. The Instrumentalist 60 (September).

Camphouse, Mark. Composers on Composing for Band, Volume 2. Chicago, Illinois: GIA
Publications Inc., 2004.

Glass, Ryan. Eric Whitacre October (Ryan Glass, Clarinets) YouTube. Last updated May 10,
2014. Accessed December 7, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czgzv5V4-Sk.

Grassi, Daniel James. An Analysis of Three Choral Transcriptions for Winds by Eric
Whitacre. Masters thesis, San Jose State University, 2010. Accessed December 5, 2015.
http://search.proquest.com.lib-proxy.fullerton.edu/docview/577647106?accountid=9840.

Hairel, John H. The Wind Band Music of Eric Whitacre with an Analysis and Discussion of
Three Choral Works Adapted for Band. DMA diss., University of Kentucky, 2009.
Accessed December 6, 2015.
http://search.proquest.com.lib-proxy.fullerton.edu/docview/885864451?accountid=9840

Miles, Richard. Teaching Music Through Performance in Band, Volume 6. Chicago, Illinois:
GIA Publications Inc., 2007.

Ragsdale, Christopher David. A Formal, Historical, and Interpretative Analysis of Equus and
October for Wind Ensemble by Composer Eric Whitacre. DMA essay, University of
Miami, 2006. Accessed December 6, 2015
http://search.proquest.com.lib-proxy.fullerton.edu/docview/305311859?accountid=9840.

Ringey, Dalton. Sleep Eric Whitacre (Clarinet Choir) YouTube. Last modified May 9, 2013.
Accessed December 7, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cjCW6tz_B4.

Shepherd, David. Water Night Eric Whitacre (clarinet choir) YouTube. Last modified April
14, 2011. Accessed December 7, 2015.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obvWgGa42x4.

Strimple, Nick. Choral Music In the Twentieth Century. Pompton Plains, New Jersey: Amadeus
Press LLC, 2005.

Velazquez, Jairo. Eric Whitacre Lux Aurumque (Clarinet Choir) YouTube. Last updated May
21, 2012. Accessed December 7, 2015.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYqUyQ1QoBw.

Whitacre, Eric. Cloudburst. Walton Music Corporation, 1996.

_____. Cloudburst Performance Notes. Carpe Ranam Productions, 2001.

9
_____. Equus. The Eric Whitacre Website. Accessed December 6, 2015.
http://ericwhitacre.com/music-catalog/wind-symphony/equus.

_____. Ghost Train. The Eric Whitacre Website. Accessed December 6, 2015.
http://ericwhitacre.com/music-catalog/wind-symphony/ghost-train.

_____. Godzilla Eats Las Vegas. Eric Whitacre & Carpe Ranam Productions, 1996.

_____. I am Eric Whitacre, composer, conductor, 5th member of Depeche Mode (application
pending). AMA! Reddit: The Front Page of the Internet. Accessed December 5, 2015.
https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2vzx7j/i_am_eric_whitacre_composer_conductor_5t
h_member.

_____. Music Catalog. The Eric Whitacre Website. Accessed December 6, 2015.
http://ericwhitacre.com/music-catalog/.

_____. October. The Eric Whitacre Website. Accessed December 6, 2015.

http://ericwhitacre.com/music-catalog/wind-symphony/october.

10