Klarinet Archive - Posting 000029.txt from 1994/03

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Italian clarinetists using only a single instrument
Date: Wed, 2 Mar 1994 17:19:11 -0500

Ron Monson mentions an Italian clarinetist who owned only one
clarinet and played everything on it. His instrument was in A.

I found that this practice is very common in Italy and more common
in poor areas, too. The need arises from the fact that two clarinets
are too great an expense for many so only one is bought and it has
to serve double dute. The origin of the full Boehm clarinet with
extension down to low written E-flat was to accomodate this very
need. Herb Blayman, formerly of the Met, told me that one of the
older clarinetists in the orchestra played everything on an A and
had never owned a B-flat instrument.

Can you imagine playing Daphnis on an A while transposing???

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Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
(leeson@-----.edu)
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