Nola by Felix Arndt arranged for clarinet in Bb & piano. The composition dates from 1915. It is frequently referred to as the first piece ofnovelty music an idiom that emerged from the ragtime era. Light and breezy in character this is a style of music very much intended to lift the mood and spirit. Arndt was a New York based composer and pianist who died during the Spanish Flu epidemic in 1919. A clarinet in B flat is appended to the full score in the pdf sheet music download. Piano accompaniments are in place allowing clarinet players to participate in play-a-long ensemble activities as part of music practice routines. The accompaniment tracks play back at 58, 60, 62, 64, 66 & 68 half note (minim) beats per minute. There is a two bar count in /click track at the beginning of the accompaniment tracks. The piano accompaniment is quite playable and not nearly as difficult as the clarinet solo. Sections need to be played at the same tempo and there is little opportunity for slowing down at the end of phrases and sections. This is music that moves along quickly but also needs to played in a completely relaxed manner. Nola is brimming with musical ideas and inventiveness and is a very “modern” sounding work for 1915. As a musical snapshot of its time it references both the ragtime era of its near past and points to the future in its swing jazz style triplet rhythms. The playing style of the bass and chords is a derived from ragtime. Contrasting and repeating sections are in evidence whilst the formal pattern of the music is A B A C D C A with an 8 bar coda at the end. The composer does not make use of repeat signs. The key plan can be summarised as I – i – I – IV - I The novelty era has a strong connection with ragtime particularly in its formal patterns and musical shapes. Whilst the repetitive element is strong the composer does not make use of repeat signs. The music editor’s observation is that Felix Arndt was a hugely talented, imaginative and inventive composer and it is a tragedy that he did not live longer to compose music that similarly anticipated future trends.
