Christophe Victoire

Autour de la Walkyrie

These studies were born out of the desire to play the music of Richard Wagner on the clarinet and more specifically, to rediscover the most beautiful musical moments of his opera Die Walküre (Die Walküre), premiered on June 26, 1870.

The clarinet, an instrument with a musicality very close to the human voice, animated by our breath, is ideal for such a project of studying the main musical moments of an opera.

The diversity of the themes addressed and their progressive level of technicality will allow apprentice clarinettists, from cycle II, to use this study book throughout their conservatory career. Amateurs and professionals alike will find great pleasure in developing the expressive capabilities of our instrument.

The studies are presented by level of difficulty, with the precision of their place within the opera and the elements of the plot. The musician will thus have an indication of the atmosphere and will be able to develop his musicality in coherence with the work. The thematic table allows you to quickly identify the main musical themes addressed, reminiscent of the system of leitmotifs, so dear to Richard Wagner's musical writing.

Some of these studies can be linked together, thus allowing the endurance of the apprentice clarinetist to be worked on, but also to be given during recitals or as a concert encore in front of an audience that would be intrigued by the idea of transposing an opera for solo clarinet. A second synoptic summary has been added to allow the studies to be performed in the chronological order of the opera's development.