Klarinet Archive - Posting 000357.txt from 1994/11

From: Syd Polk <jazzman@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Sorcerer's apprentice
Date: Fri, 25 Nov 1994 15:31:54 -0500

I had a problem with a contrabass clarinet part. We were playing a Eugene
Bozza sextet at San Jose State, and the contrabass clarinet part was in
bass clef. The problem was, if you read it as if it was transposed
down a minor seventh (i.e., transposed up a major second from a contrabassoon
part, normal b. cl. down an octave), the last note was an F sharp
an octave lower than the low F sharp, but if you read it as if it
was transposed up a major second (actually written an actave too high),
there were high D's, which are impossible on the instrument. In
addition, most of the parts ended up in unison with the bass, in which
case, what is the point of having a contra? I just read it the first
way, and played the last note up an octave.

Syd Polk