Klarinet Archive - Posting 000255.txt from 1993/12

From: Cary Karp <nrm-karp@-----.SE>
Subj: When the cats are away
Date: Thu, 23 Dec 1993 06:20:42 -0500

> Dan Leeson:
>
> Just because the kids went home for Christmas, does all traffic
> stop??
>
> See how dependent we are on the students, and particularly that
> active crew in Ithaca!!!

I'm glad to see that someone else is still around. I was all set to enjoy
the luxury of Holiday time off to indulge myself in list activities, and
what happens . . .

Anyway -- this might be a good time to discuss the sorts of things that
the Ithaca people really find irritating. How's about D clarinets? We've
already discussed C, B, Bb, A, basset horns, Bb basses, A basses and Bb
contrabasses (anything overlooked?). I remember someone speculating on the
choice of Bb as the standard size having been determined by practice with
trumpets. In fact, the original clarinets were in D precisely because the
trumpets of that day were in G. (The upper registers of the two
instruments match -- remember the origin of the term "clarinet".)

One way or the other, the D is the "authentic" instrument for most of the
real early clarinet literature. Anybody use one?