Passage Studies, Book 2

This edition is Book 2 in a series of 3; the other parts of the series are available from the same publisher:
Book 1
Book 3

L'Atalante, from Second livre de pièces de clavecin, Douzième, et dernier Ordre (XII)
       François Couperin
Allegro, from Suite No. 2 in F Major, HWV 427
       George Frideric Handel
Solfeggio in C Minor, H. 220
       Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
From Divertimento in B-flat Major, K. 287/271h (uses folk song "D'Bäure hat d'Katz verlorn")
       Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Rondo for Violincello, from Quintet in C Major, G. 310 (No.4)
       Luigi Boccherini
German Pastoral Dances
From Symphony No. 4, Op. 60
       Ludwig van Beethoven
From Gretchen am Spinnrade, D. 118 (Gretchen at the Spinning-Wheel")
From the Finale of the Piano Sonata in A Minor, D. 845
       Franz Schubert
Vogel als Prophet, from Waldszenen, Op. 82 No. 7 ("The Prophet Bird")
       Robert Schumann
On a theme from the Clarinet Trio, Op. 114
       Johannes Brahms
Themes from Scheherazade, Op. 35
       Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Two Birioulki, Op.2
       Anatoly Lyadov
From Dances of Galánta
       Zoltán Kodály
Prelude No. 23, from 24 Preludes
Prelude No. 23, from 24 Preludes
       Alexander Scriabin
Toccata, from Concertino Pastorale
       John Ireland

 Frederick John Thurston (1901 – 1953) was an English clarinettist.  Book 2 of Passage Studies consists of 17 studies based on music not originally for the clarinet (with a few exceptions), and in Thurston's words from the preface, "...freely adapted without impairing their proper musical significance."  They are technical in nature, and for each study, Thurston indicates a specific problem to be the focus of practice.  These include legato, staccato, accents, quick wide intervals, difficult intervals, lip flexibility, strict time, even sixteenth notes, 5-note groups, flowing style, lyrical playing, imaginative expression, the Russian school, and Hungarian (Kodály) style.  Orchestral players will notice that a handful of the studies adapt common excerpts, including Beethoven's Symphony No. 4 and Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade.

Quick facts
Length: equal mixture of 1 and 2 pages
Range: highest pitch = written A♭6
Key signature: no ♯/♭, 1♯, 2♯, 3♯, 1♭, 2♭, 3♭, 4♭
Time signature: 2/2, 2/4, 2/8, 3/4, 3/8, 4/4, 6/4, 6/8, 6/16

Most of the studies are in 4/4, 2/4 and 3/4 time, and the majority have key signatures with 1 flat, 2 flats, or no sharps/flats.  There are occasional accidentals, and frequent writing in the altissimo range.  The Passage Studies present a consistent, moderate difficulty appropriate for the intermediate clarinettist, and are organized in a chronological order, starting with Couperin and finishing with Ireland; most are classical and romantic styles from the nineteenth century.

Thurston has included markings for suggested metronome, breaths, and side/pinky key use.