Klarinet Archive - Posting 000372.txt from 1994/05

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Christopher Zello's question about Mozart/bass clar.
Date: Sat, 21 May 1994 22:43:13 -0400

Chris, I think you shot too soon. Garrett Fitzgerald did not say that
Mozart wrote K. 622 for a bass clarinet. The discussion was about
low C bass clarinets and Garrett simply suggested that he had played
K. 622 on a bass clarinet that went down to low C. In effect, he was
able to play the solo part (even if alone) using a range that simulated
that of the basset clarinet. I do it myself all the time. In fact,
at a party several weeks ago, I did the Mozart quintet with a string
quartet and played it on A bass. I know that he did not write the
quintet for a bass clarinet, but I did it anyway. And, by the way,
it sounded lousy. The voicing is not correct and the many inversions
in the chords caused by the solo instrument sounding an octave lower
than it should occasionally resulted in the lowest note being the
fifth of the chord. That leads to a very unstable harmony.

Anyway, Garrett's comments were quite clear within the context in which
he was using them and you owe both him and me one dozen cookies in place
of an apology. No apologies accepted, only cookies.

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

   
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