Klarinet Archive - Posting 000031.txt from 1994/07

From: Jeff Bowles <jab@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: C clarinet
Date: Sat, 2 Jul 1994 03:02:00 -0400

``Just how far does our authority as players extend? Would anyone
object if I did the Mozart quintet on a B-flat clarinet? Would anyone
object if I did it on a bass clarinet in A? How about a tenor sax?
Whose authority is absolute?''

It depends on the objective. If you're trying to recreate
exactly the performance that premiered the work, you should do
it on instruments specified, and if you're a purist, you should
be careful to do it on only instruments available at the time
of that premiere. You should be careful not to use anachronisms
in the performance (a good analogy is performing an 18th
century Mozart opera with women instead of castrati for certain
roles), and should make sure you tune your "A" to the "A" of
the period - probably not 440. And for god's sake, don't use
Boehm instruments if none were available at the time.

I hope this doesn't sound too bitchy - it's just an example of
the extreme. The real point is, "what are you trying to
accomplish? Answer that first, and the question of
instrumentation and scoring (and key) will follow more easily."

For example, there's a terrific Beethoven trio for two oboes
and english horn, that I've seen written for two violins and a
viola. I don't know which is "original", and recently ran
through it on two B-flats and an alto. (Admittedly, the pitch
sounded a whole step off from the original oboe/violin version,
but it was still quite wonderful music.) Is something less
musical because it's played on other instruments?

I was taught that it's "art" if it exists on multiple levels:
the obvious one ("it's a pretty painting" or "it's a nice
play") and some other level that lent itself to interpretation.
I would prefer not to limit certain instrumental pieces to one
set of instruments because such interpretation was deemed
"inappropriate."

Some instruments won't work on certain pieces: subtle
harmonies might work for a flute ensemble and then be lost
when transcribed for tubas; a fanfare for brass might lose
out completely in the movement to zither and harp.

(End of soapbox sermon.)

Jeff Bowles