Klarinet Archive - Posting 000225.txt from 1994/09

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
Subj: Mystery solved
Date: Sun, 25 Sep 1994 06:42:57 -0400

Two weeks ago I posted about the bass clarinet in C in the bass clef and
asked if anyone had ever seen such a transposition. Got a few bites but
it remained a mystery.

Friday night we played the work: SYMPHONY ON G of Lou Harrison and the
composer was there. So I grabbed him, took him aside, and asked why he
had written the part that way. I said that bass in C in the bass clef
was a transposition for which I had no experience and what was his
motivation for having written the part in such an unconventional way.

His response: "You mean your part is not in B-flat? I didn't know that."

It seems that he wrote the score in C for all instruments and simply
assumed that the publisher would transpose all the parts for all the
transposing instruments. Apparently this was the first time since he
wrote the work (about 30 years ago) that anyone brought this matter to
his attention.

The first clarinet music is also in C and it has a solo that rivals the
Ginastera variations for complexity and length. Our clarinetist, Michael
Corner, had to transpose the part out, not that he is not a good
transposer, but at that difficulty and danger, he felt more comfortable
not having to play it and transpose at sight.

Bottom line: the whole thing is a composer/publisher miscommunication.

====================================
Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
(leeson@-----.edu)
(leeson@-----.edu)
(dnl2073@-----.edu)
Any of the above three addresses may be used. Take your pick.
====================================