Introduction
William O. Smith (1926–2020), also known in jazz circles as Bill Smith, was a groundbreaking clarinetist and composer whose career spanned both classical and jazz traditions. Trained by composers such as Darius Milhaud and Roger Sessions, Smith’s music is known for its fusion of serialist rigor, jazz language, and extended clarinet techniques.
One of his most influential works, Five Pieces for Clarinet Alone (1959), represents a pivotal moment in his experimental writing. Composed just before he discovered multiphonics, this piece explores the clarinet’s full expressive range—while still being technically monophonic—through intervallic design, registral spacing, and twelve-tone rows.
Analytical Overview
Polyphony in a Monophonic Line
Although the clarinet traditionally produces one note at a time, Smith manipulates registral space and rhythmic layering to suggest the presence of multiple voices. This is particularly evident in the third movement, Rhythmic, where fugue-like phrasing emerges from a single-line melody through accents, spacing, and twelve-tone fragment manipulation.
Intervallic Collections and Pitch Organization
Throughout the five movements, Smith employs carefully structured intervallic collections to create thematic unity. Three-note sets such as (013), (025), (024), and the four-note set (0235) appear frequently, either as motivic cells or as building blocks for full twelve-tone rows.
• In Vigorous (Movement I), Smith introduces a registral division into three voices—above, within, and below the staff—while cycling through collections like (0235), (013), and (025).
• In Flowing (Movement II), complete twelve-tone rows are formed from sequences of seconds and sevenths, often grouped into repeated sets and mirror structures.
• Rhythmic (Movement III) integrates tone rows such as (027) and (013), with a distinct character shaped by syncopation and a dance-like pulse.
• In Singing (Movement IV), Smith inverts and reorders previous pitch material, employing twelve-tone rows in lyrical, vocally-inspired phrasing.
• Spirited (Movement V) revisits intervallic materials from earlier movements with increased momentum and energy, highlighting the (02) and (025) collections.
Historical & Technical Context
Pre-Multiphonics Innovation
Smith wrote Five Pieces just before he encountered Luciano Berio’s Sequenza I for solo flute, which introduced him to multiphonics. Although not used in this piece, the idea of polyphony on a single-line instrument was already in Smith’s mind. He later reflected that he tried to “give the impression of a three- or four-voiced fugue,” unaware that the clarinet could produce actual multiphonic sounds.
Later Work with Multiphonics
In 1960, after receiving a Guggenheim Fellowship, Smith conducted extensive research in Europe, documenting over 200 clarinet multiphonics. He would go on to write pioneering works using these sounds, such as Variants and Duo for Clarinet and Recorded Clarinet, combining live performance with electronic tape.
The Double Clarinet
Smith’s fascination with extended clarinet techniques eventually led him to invent the “double clarinet,” inspired by the ancient Greek aulos. In later works like Five Fragments (1977), Ritual (1989), and Epitaphs (1993), he pushed the physical and expressive boundaries of clarinet playing by combining two instruments or modifying their structure.
Conclusion
Five Pieces for Clarinet Alone stands at a fascinating intersection of tradition and innovation. It shows Smith’s deep understanding of twelve-tone technique, his sensitivity to registral space, and his creative use of implied polyphony. Though composed just before his breakthrough with multiphonics, this work foreshadows much of what would come to define Smith’s unique voice in modern clarinet literature.