Rabaud Solo de Concours Op. 10 for Clarinet and Piano

Rabaud's Solo de concours, Op. 10 is one of the most effective competition pieces written for the clarinet: a single-movement work from 1901 that moves between technically demanding passages and extended lyrical lines, asking for agility and expressive control in the span of four to five minutes. This new edition presents the original clarinet and piano version with clean, freshly engraved parts that are easy to read at speed.

Written as a test piece for the Paris Conservatoire, the work covers the full range of the clarinet — warm chalumeau writing in the lyrical passages, bright upper clarion work in the more virtuosic sections — and shifts between the two with the kind of contrast that makes it demanding to play and engaging to listen to. The piano part is characterful in its own right, providing harmonic support and rhythmic momentum without overshadowing the solo line. At conservatoire and competition level, the piece rewards precise technical preparation and genuine stylistic understanding of French early 20th century writing.

For a teacher, it's reliable preparation for auditions and competitions. For a student, it's a piece where technical and musical development happen together rather than separately. As a recital work, the French character and compact structure make it a strong programme item alongside other Romantic or early 20th century repertoire.

See and hear the difference

Check the score preview images above, then watch the performance video. They'll give you a clear picture of the engraving quality and the overall level of the piece before you buy.

Key features

• Instrumentation: Clarinet in B♭ and Piano
• Difficulty: advanced; conservatoire and competition standard
• Duration: approximately 4-5 minutes
• Style focus: full clarinet range, French early 20th century style, lyrical and technical contrast
• Format: PDF download, clarinet part and piano score

Who it's for

Suits an advanced clarinet student or professional preparing for conservatoire auditions, competitions, or recitals. The original piano version is the natural choice for exam preparation and studio work, and the clean new engraving makes it straightforward to read from the first rehearsal.