Henri Rabaud’s Solo de Concours, a jewel of the French clarinet repertoire

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Henri Rabaud (1873–1949) was one of the leading French musicians of his generation. A composer, conductor, and educator, he enjoyed a distinguished career that included directing the Paris Opera, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and later the Paris Conservatoire, where he succeeded Gabriel Fauré in 1922. Conservative by nature -he was famous for saying “modernism is the enemy”- Rabaud remained faithful to a classical and balanced aesthetic, marked by formal clarity and lyrical expressiveness.

Henri Rabaud

Henri Rabaud’s Solo de Concours for clarinet and piano, Op. 10, was composed in 1901 for clarinetist Charles Turban, a professor at the Paris Conservatoire. Like all pièces de concours (competition pieces), it was written to assess the technical and expressive mastery of students preparing for graduation. The work was selected for several editions of the Conservatoire’s annual competition (in 1908, 1915, 1925, and 1937), a testament to its popularity and pedagogical value.

Since its creation, the Solo de Concours has become a cornerstone of the French academic clarinet repertoire. It is demanding yet deeply enjoyable to play—combining virtuosic passages with moments of lyrical beauty, offering the performer a chance to display both technical skill and musical sensitivity. Recently (November 2025), I decided to record my own version of this piece, which you can watch above, in collaboration with Korean pianist Jiung Yoon. I greatly enjoyed revisiting this work, especially with the goal of performing it from memory, something I always find rewarding.

Structurally, the piece is divided into three contrasting sections, each highlighting a different aspect of the clarinet’s expressive range and style:

1) Free introduction or recitative

The piece opens with a rhapsodic, almost improvised passage, where the clarinet unfolds wide intervals and arpeggios over sustained bass notes or chords in the piano. This opening has an introspective, expressive character, like a musical monologue that sets the stage for what follows.

2) Slow section (Sarabande or Largo)

This second section carries the solemn, melodic character of a Baroque dance. Here, the clarinetist must demonstrate smooth legato, precise breathing and intonation, and sensitivity in phrasing. The elegant and balanced writing evokes the spirit of Johann Sebastian Bach, filtered through the lens of French Romanticism.

3) Final Allegro

Without transition, the music suddenly brightens, becoming lively and almost festive. This final section bursts with fast scales, leaps across registers, arpeggios, and sparkling articulations. It’s a moment of pure virtuosity, where agility, rhythmic precision, and energy are key to an exciting conclusion.

Click here to watch the video on YouTube

Rabaud’s Solo de Concours perfectly captures the academic spirit of the Paris Conservatoire at the turn of the 20th century, a balance between Romantic lyricism and technical discipline. Though Rabaud rejected modernist tendencies, his writing shows refined harmonic colors and modulations that give the piece freshness and charm. The result is a beautifully balanced work: demanding, expressive, and unmistakably French in character.

More than a century later, Rabaud’s Solo de Concours remains a staple of the clarinet repertoire for students and professionals alike. Its blend of elegance and difficulty makes it ideal for exams, auditions, or recitals alike. Ultimately, it represents the very best of the French tradition: music that is clear, refined, and deeply idiomatic for the clarinet, a piece that continues to inspire anyone who loves the art of making the clarinet sing.

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