An annotated bibliography of selected solo and small chamber works for clarinet in the 20th and 21st century written by Macedonian composers

There are many composers from the Republic of Macedonia creating powerful musical pieces for the clarinet. The author has discovered 25 little-known works, which are performed mostly in Macedonia, including six clarinet solos, nine for clarinet and piano, and ten chamber works up to four players. Most valuable compositions from these works would include: Mariana (2005) by Ljubomir Branjolica, Sonata in Es (1972) by Blagoj Canev, Rondo Dramatico (1965) by Stojan Stojkov, Ludium & Fugue (2014) by Bojana Petrovic Aleksova, Suite from the Ballet Dubrovacka Legenda (1989) by Ljubomir Branjolica, Trio in As (1991) by Blagoj Canev, Trio Sonoro (1965) by Vlastimir Nikolovski, and Tomislav Zogravski’s 5 Pieces for clarinet Op. 131 (1997). The majority of compositions discovered are unknown in the United States. These works are written in a wide spectrum of compositional styles including neo-classical, folk, twelve-tone serialism, avant-garde, and atonal. This document includes an overview of the history of Macedonian music and its culture. It provides the biographies of the composers, their education, list of works that include the clarinet, achievements and awards, and places where their works have been performed. The annotated bibliography includes works for solo unaccompanied clarinet, clarinet and piano, clarinet and orchestra, and chamber music for up to four players. The entry for each work covers the following information: composer name, composer dates, title of the work and movements, date of composition, instrumentation, publisher and date of publication, and sources from which the music score and parts can be acquired. Further details include inspiration for each work, first performance and instrumentalist(s), range of clarinet writing, extended techniques used, basic form and stylistic characteristics of composition, and level of difficulty. It is hoped that this document will inspire the reader to appreciate the rich musical heritage of Macedonia and to encourage future scholars to pursue further study of this subject. Furthermore, this document will serve as a useful reference for clarinet teachers, students, and performers and increase the performance repertoire for clarinetists