The idea of reducing popular and musically satisfying operatic or orchestral works to smaller instrumental forces is not uncommon, but the idea of reducing large scores for the exclusive use of orchestral excerpt pedagogy is. Although there are a multitude of excellent resources detailing how select excerpts from both the clarinet and bass clarinet orchestral repertoire should be performed, no resources for clarinetists or bass clarinetists provide a piano reduction of orchestral scores. Through piano reduction of orchestral scores, bass clarinetists have access to a resource that simulates the experience of playing in an orchestra. Bass clarinetists using a piano reduction will learn the pitch tendencies of the instrument. Consequently, the performer will discover ways to study excerpts in-tune with other instruments that will not compromise for the shortcomings of the bass clarinet. Use of piano transcriptions will also aid with recognition of important moving lines, harmonic textures and rhythmic ostinatos that might otherwise be overlooked by score study and listening alone. Finally, many of the excerpt transcriptions provided are taken from several bars before the primary bass clarinet excerpt, unlike many excerpt books currently available. This provides bass clarinets a more contextual view of an excerpt by facilitating the …

Leo Brouwer's Sonata Mitología de las Aguas No. I for flute and guitar, first published in 2017, has taken its place as an important twenty-first-century addition to the flute and guitar duo repertory. I provide a brief historical context for the work, followed by preparation guides for guitar alone and duo passages. My preparation guides include exercises and rehearsal strategies, focusing on those passages of the work that include controlled indeterminacy. The study of indeterminacy in music is unusual in the pedagogy of the classical guitarist; this leaves guitarists unprepared for dealing with pieces, especially chamber works, that use improvisation or aleatoric music as a primary element. I take a multifaceted approach to facilitate the realization of the indeterminate sections of the work; this includes demonstrations of my traditional music notation transcriptions and other rehearsal strategies and the application of music performance study systems by James Thurmond and Marcel Tabuteau. This document aims to provide guidance to creating an organic, natural aesthetic in the actualization of Brouwer's groundbreaking work.