Klarinet Archive - Posting 000203.txt from 1995/01

From: Josias Associates <josassoc@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Mahler and the Clarinet
Date: Thu, 12 Jan 1995 17:21:34 -0500

Here's a piece of trivia for anyone investigating the clarinet in
Mahler's orchestral works. I first noticed this in Peter Hadcock's
orchestral excerpts book for the Eb clarinet (Roncorp, Inc.).

In Mahler's first symphony, unlike the parts for Clarinets 1, 2, and 3,
which I recall used several different pitched clarinets (including the Eb),
the 4th Clarinet part is almost exclusively for Eb clarinet and is often
played by either a specialist or an experienced Eb player.

Hadcock pointed out that, in the third movement, the 3rd clarinet
is also in Eb and has the top notes, with the 4th part containing the
bottom notes. He suggested that, for that movement (or at least a portion
of it) the 3rd and 4th players swap parts.

I don't know whether this is a tradition, but a few years ago,
when I was brought in to play the 4th part with a college orchestra, the
conductor did just that: he had the 3rd and 4th parts swapped for a
portion of the third movement.

Connie

Conrad Josias
La Canada, California