Klarinet Archive - Posting 000256.txt from 1995/02

From: Lorne G Buick - Music TA <lgbuick@-----.CA>
Subj: Re: Ok, I'm making progress (Saint-Saens)
Date: Sun, 12 Feb 1995 13:58:25 -0500

Hi Michael- hope you're all sorted out now.... I just wanted to reply to
one of your questions:
>
> I've started working on C. Saint-Saens Sonata for Clarinet. It looks semi
> interesting. Any suggestions?
>
Hmmmm.... I think it's more than _semi_interesting. One of my favourite
sonatas, actually. I have both the Durand "Edition Originale", and the
Chester, edited by Paul Harvey; as far as I can see, the only change in
the Chester is in the spacing of the piano part, setting up the page turns
in different places, so there's no difference as far as the musical info.

This is one of many pieces written for the clarinet just before its
composer died (Mozart, Poulenc, Brahms...), and the one that most
obviously suggests premonitions of death (in its strange, sombre Lento).
This Lento is the most difficult movement to play (I have always found),
despite having the fewest notes... or perhaps because of that!) for
various reasons. It's hard to sustain the intensity of the forte section
without feeling like you're overburdening the listener, but I feel it
really is important to do just that: sustain the forte right through.
Personally I use a lot of vibrato in this section, and much less in the
second half. Intonation is another challenge, as you have to sit on some
of the flattest notes of the horn (low E and F), maintaining the darkness
and beauty of your sound while lipping them up! (I haven't played this
piece on my Rossi clarinet yet, but I know it will be much easier!) Last
time I played it I cheated a little, and pulled out for the second half,
which sits on a lot of sharp notes as well as being pp throughout. You can
do a lot of phrasing or directing of phrases by varying the colour and
intensity of your sound in this section, without ever playing any louder.
You'll probably want to use the side fingering for the high C# in m.43
(like bottom space f#- use LH 3rd finger to bring down the pitch if nec.).
The ghostly atmosphere of this pp section continues (in my interpretation)
in the opening of mvt.4- it stays p up to m.20, and suggests a sort of
hyperactive ghost, a newly- dead ghost struggling to come to terms with
his new life... or lack thereof...

Hope you enjoy playing this beautiful piece.BTW, I have Stoltzman's
recording of this sonata- I haven't listened to it in ages, but I seem to
recall thinking it was very good.