Theme from “Schindler’s List” for Clarinet - Performance & Notes

On March 18, 2023, I had the pleasure of performing the beautiful Theme from "Schindler's List" for clarinet and symphonic band, with the Buenos Aires City Symphonic Band, at the UBA Law University auditorium. The conductor was Carlos David James. Below, you can watch the video filmed by a friend who attended the concert.

Steven Spielberg directed this remarkable film, released in 1993 and winner of seven Academy Awards, with a soundtrack composed by John Williams (who also wrote Viktor’s Tale for clarinet). In the movie, the main theme was performed by the extraordinary violinist Itzhak Perlman.

Poster of the film Schindler’s List (1993), directed by Steven Spielberg with music by John Williams

As mentioned above, this piece was originally written for solo violin, not clarinet, and the version I played is an arrangement by Calvin Custer. The melody has features that suit the violin particularly well: a very wide range from low to extremely high notes, constant legato, large leaps -including octaves and even wider intervals- and almost no rests once the soloist begins. Adapting the violin solo to clarinet is a very interesting and demanding challenge, since the clarinet does not share the same flexibility as the violin. And because it is a wind instrument, the melody inevitably needs to be interrupted for breathing. The challenge is to maintain the continuity of the original phrasing, which requires careful air management, choosing when and how to breathe, selecting appropriate dynamics, seeking color changes in the sound, and connecting each note as smoothly as possible. The goal is always to offer an expressive interpretation of this sad and melancholic piece. On the day of the concert, the beautiful auditorium was nearly full. I enjoyed performing this piece immensely, and the audience listened with great attention and emotion.

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