Solo for Clarinet

 

Walking The Dog is one of Gershwin’s lighter numers. It is a clarinet showpiece that is just as much fun as the title suggests.Taken from the movie Shall We Dance, staring none other than the great Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Walking The Dog catches George Gershwin at the very height of his powers. Rather than the bustling, complex symphonic scores he was by-now accustomed to knocking out, it's a simple, elegant little stroll, as the title suggests. In fact, in the 1937 film, it accompanies a scene of dog-walking, aboard the luxury deck of an ocean liner. Since its use in the film, though, the song has taken on a life of its own and become a popular showing-off piece for clarinettists everywhere. Interestingly, it's also the only section of score from the whole of Shall We Dance that remains - the rest of the movie's music remains sadly unpublished.