Klarinet Archive - Posting 000212.txt from 1995/01

From: Garrett Fitzgerald <gfitzger@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Mahler and the clarinet
Date: Thu, 12 Jan 1995 22:14:01 -0500

>
> Connie Josias points out a peculiarity in the Mahler 1. I have been
> personally involved in that problem and Connie's suggested solution is
> one that I buy.
>
> There are two E-flat clarinet parts, one exclusively E-flat and the other
> a bass clarinet/E-flat double. It is the bass player who must pick up
> the E-flat (after it sat there for 2-1/2 movements doing nothing) and play
> the solo line of the two E-flat clarinet duet. The part is not
> terribly difficult but it scares one half to death because everything is
> working against the b.c. player; i.e., s/he has played no E-flat clarinet
> up to this point and then, bang, an important melodic line.
>
> The last two times we played the work I asked to take the 2nd E-flat part
> at that point. We do it again next year and I will try the 1st part this
> time.

Heh. :-) When I did Mahler 1 eight--no, nine years ago, in the Brown
U. Orchestra, I was playing the bass part. With a borrowed A and bass,
and no Eb. :-) I also took the 4th part for those sections, and
transposed. What really annoyed me was the end of the movement, where
the bass player has under ten seconds to change from Bb bass to C
soprano. (Transposed that too....)
----------
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