Klarinet Archive - Posting 000286.txt from 1994/10

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
Subj: Oliver Seely's comments about the right clarinet
Date: Sun, 23 Oct 1994 15:49:38 -0400

Oliver, I don't know of a single case of a composer specifying in autograph
what his intentions were in using a clarinet of specific pitch. And I know
of only two cases of direct quotes from composers (Stravinsky and Strauss)
about how deadly serious they were that the clarinetist use the clarinet
that was called for and not transpose. The Stravinksy case had to do with
the unaccompanied pieces and the Strauss case with the Alpine Symphony where
he insisted on a C clarinet and nothing else.

Mozart's case is more complicated because he does not write for any
clarinet in any key of more than 1 sharp. When that occasion arose,
he either changed clarinets or stopped writing for them at that point.
He had 6 choices to make: clarinets in C, B-natural, B-flat, and A as
well as basset horns in both F and G (of which I know of only one work in
his repertoire of compositions).

While one could argue that he made his choice of clarinets based on the
key in which the instrument would be required to play, one could also say
that he wrote passages that exploited the peculiar sound of that clarinet
once he had selected it. I presume that no one wants to argue that his
ear was not good enough to detect such a difference.

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