French composer, singer and critic, Claude Pascal was born in Paris on February 19, 1921. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire and eventually became a professor and later assistant director of the Conservatoire. For 10 years (1969-1979) he was a music critic for Le Figaro magazine and was a registered music expert in matters of legal copyright.
His works include Concerto for Flute and Strings Patchwork, a ballet for 12 saxophones - sonatas and sonatinas for a variety of instruments with piano accompaniment, Plages, five pieces for recorder and piano and L'invitation aux voyage and Farfelettes for three-part children's choir.
Bleu for clarinet and piano is a simple composition tailored for the young clarinetist. The range is very accessible for an advanced beginner/intermediate player although it does go over the break and utilizes a left-hand "c" pinky fingering. It exhibits a lovely thematic melody, which is the basis for the composition. The rhythm is not complicated, and Pascal writes two ritardando cadence points where the performer can make expressive tempi changes. The duration of the piece is approximately two minutes, and it is a wonderful selection of clarinet and piano repertoire for the young, developing clarinetist.
Janice L. Minor
The Clarinet, December 2013
