Klarinet Archive - Posting 000075.txt from 1994/07

From: HardReed@-----.COM
Subj: Re: Which instrument?
Date: Fri, 8 Jul 1994 13:04:42 -0400

I don't think that there is widespread "abuse" by players in
determining what instrument we should select for a given
composition. My humble experiences to this point has illustrated that
plainly (well, in MY eyes!). As best as I am able to determine, we probably
use the instrument requested by the composer more than 99.9% of the time, the
very occasional substitution made for reasons such as those I discussed a
couple of days ago.....It certainly isn't any kind of conspiracy!

I generally agree with your comment, Dan "The kinds ofclarinet substitutions
that we make without any thought whatsoever need to be reevaluated."
Arbitrary substitutions to simply "make life easier" can only be justified
(in my eyes?) if it also serves the performance of the composition. Most
substitutions are made for the benefit of the performance, not simply that of
the player's ease. For that reason, there are not really THAT many instances
where such substitutions should occur.

I suppose if we want to regard such substitutions as abuse, we
should look towards the opera world, particularly those fine old Italian
players of yore (and for all I know, today!), who only would take one
instrument into the pit! (I don't know about all of you, but I don't think
I've EVER seen an Italian opera scored for only the B-flat or A or C!).

BTW Dan, I've played the Ginastera "Variacciones Concertantes" on
B-flat, I've played it on A and I've heard it done with another
player on E-flat (or D, perhaps?) finishing up the last measure of the long
run up (you know where I'm talking about!). One could probably make a good
argument for performing it on C, given the rather "bright" nature of the
variation (not the mention of the fact that it goes by so quickly, who has
time to focus on the color anyway?).

Well.....whatever!

Larry Liberson
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
<Hard Reed@-----.com>