Klarinet Archive - Posting 000059.txt from 1993/12

From: "Dr. Ronald P. Monsen" <RPMONS00@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: B-flat or A? Which do you prefer?
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 1993 08:07:21 -0500

This discussion reminds me of a letter that I once came across written by
Richard Straussconcerning the first performances of Elektra. The score
calls for several instruments in pitches that the Leipzig (?) orchestra did
not have--if this is the wrong orchestra I apologize in advance. Anyway,
the proper clarinet flavours were obtained. It so happens that some of the
performers were uncomfortable with these clarinets and transposed at will.
The letter in question has the composers firing away at the players for not
using the colors, etc. he had intended. Does anyone out there recall this
communication from composer? I hope I did not dream this up--I really do
remember this because of performances of the opera by the Lyric Opera

in Chicago when I was a graduate student in the early 70's.

The recent article of Dan Leeson's in THE CLARINET (v. 21 no.1) about the
bass clarinet in A has raised many questions for me. Not the article itself--
but the questions about the history of the A bass clarinet. How many of these
survive in collections? Do the inventories of the European orchestras that
regularly gave the first performances of some of the Mahler, Strauss and
Wagner works in question catalog having A bass clarinets?

As I recall there seems to be quite a large representation of soprano
instruments in C and D in many collections. In fact the D soprano seems
to outnumber the Eb soprano by a good amount.

Just wondering and thinking at the keyboard early in the Monday morn.

Ron Monsen

   
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