Klarinet Archive - Posting 000111.txt from 1994/01

From: Jay Heiser <jayh@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Introduction/Question
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 1994 17:38:32 -0500

-->small but prominent solos there's not that much difference. The key to
-->Brigadoon is: beg, borrow or steal an A clarinet! There's a fair amount of
-->fast playing in 5 and 6 sharps (for Bb clarinet) that has to be
-->significantly easier transposed to the A. This is, in fact, what one of
-->the other players did and reported it to be well worth the effort. (Sid,
-->are you out there?)
-->
-->Now as to whether this goes against the sound that Lerner&Lowe wanted . . .

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it doesn't really matter what
the composers of a musical wanted.

They didn't arrange the original, and it has undoubtedly changed since then.
Musicals are very much performance art, and every production is different
(sometimes every performance is difft). The production staff interprets
the entire show very liberally, substituting and deleting entire songs.
The show has to fit the cast, the performance hall, and the budget.

There is no reason to assume artistic perfection on the part of the original
artistic staff, and no expectation of a perfect reproduction in later
performances. I'd be willing to bet that virtually no performances
of "Follies" actually have a first reed player with all 7 required
instruments (I'm gonna do it the next time -- just need to rent an alto
flute & Eb clarinet).

Jordan knows that and he's pulling everyone's chain a little bit....
OK, Broadway doesn't really care whether it is an A or Bb clarinet.
(they'll ask for a 1/2 octave diff if they can get it)

How do we know that Mozart cared??? ;-)
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Its chilly today.