Klarinet Archive - Posting 000220.txt from 1993/12

From: Cary Karp <nrm-karp@-----.SE>
Subj: Re: High and low pitch (Time for a new topic)
Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1993 05:24:13 -0500

All saxophones that I've seen from the first few decades of this century
are stamped either expressly as "high pitch" or "low pitch", or with an
"H" or "L". I believe this also applies to brass instruments. Some metal
clarinets are also stamped H or L. High pitch was largely used in
military bands and remains in use in some military contexts, such as the
British regimental use of the Scottish Highland bagpipes.

The notion of a true pair of high pitched A and Bb clarinets surprises
me, though. I didn't know that high pitch was an orchestral phenomenon
(in present context) nor did I know that A & Bb pairs were a military one.
Otherwise, a low pitch Bb is a high pitch A, so what is the rationale for
a separate high pitch A model?

As far as the Mozart B clarinet goes, the orchestral pitch of his day was
about 1/4 tone lower than present-day orchestral pitch. That means that
20th century high and low pitch Bb clarinets are equidistant from the
pitch Mozart "had in mind" for the B clarinet. As long as the modern Bb can
handle the technical requirements of the opera parts, a pair of B's might
be pushing things just a tad. (I've been "subtly" trying for some time to
trigger a discussion of the use of period instruments as a requisite
component for truly authentic performance. Will I succeed this time?)

   
     Copyright © Woodwind.Org, Inc. All Rights Reserved    Privacy Policy    Contact charette@woodwind.org