Klarinet Archive - Posting 000085.txt from 1995/03

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Transpositions
Date: Fri, 3 Mar 1995 11:06:30 -0500

Jim Sclator comments on the need to be able to transpose B-flat parts
on A and vice versa. He is, of course, quite correct. I wish, however,
to mention that the ability to do that can, from time to time,
introduce other problems. I have a situation like this, this very
evening.

We are playing Mahler 3 tonight and tomorrow. I am playing the 3rd
clarinet/bass clarinet book. At a certain juncture in the first movement,
all three B-flat clarinetists are directed to switch to A clarinet, and
for only a very short time. That is, the A clarinet, which has been sitting
there getting as cold as ice, is to be used for no more than 4 measures.
Then, the switch is made back to B-flat clarinet and the work continues
for another hour on only B-flat clarinet.

So what one has is a symphony 1-1/2 hours long in which the A clarinet is
used for perhaps 4 measures. The temptation is very strong to transpose
those few measures onto B-flat clarinet, but that temptation must be
avoided. If one does that, one is tinkering with the character of the
music, and that, my dear friends, is not why we have been hired.

The A clarinet plays three short figures, the first high, the second in
the middle register, and the third beginning at low written e, the lowest
note on the A clarinet and a note WHICH IS NOT AVAILABLE on the B-flat
soprano clarinet. All things being equal, the first and second passages
can be played on an A or B-flat clarinet, but the third cannot and it
is for that reason that Mahler makes the switch.

On finding about 6 measures of rest to enable the change from B-flat
to A clarinet, he then requires the A in order to get the low note in
the third of the three sections played. And if one executes these
three sections on a B-flat clarinet (i.e., ignoring the composer's
directions to switch clarinets), you can't get the low tone (unless
you have a B-flat clarinet with extension) and are required to play
the passage up an octave.

That is something that the composer explicitly rejects; i.e., the
playing of the last figure up an octave. Sure it's convenient.
Sure it enables one to show up at the gig with one clarinet. And
sure it says that the player knows more about what to do there than
Mahler did. That is an argument that I cannot accept. I am hired
to play what Mahler wrote, not make changes that make life easier for
me while, at the same time, dishonoring both the spirit and the letter
of the music.

I do not disagree with anyone who suggests that transpositon is a
necessary skill. But the ability to do it should not lead to
its use being made without thought as to the consequenes of that
act.

This is exactly what we spoke of several months ago with respect to
the transposition of C clarinet music. Almost every comment on the
subject of tranpostition has been made with the reminder that we
need to be able to transpose C clarinet music. Sure. I suppose so.
But in fact, what we need to be able to do is buy a C clarinet since
that is the character of sound that, presumably, the composer had in
mind when writing the piece.

There is little difference in the Mahler story above and the use of
C clarinet. The natural question that arises is "Who is the boss?".
Is it the clarinetists' perrogotive (spelling??) to make whatever
changes suits his/her needs or do we have a greater responsiblity
than that?

I could not possibly do it, but there are players so good that they
can play the Mozart concerto on a B-flat clarinet and transpose the
whole thing, so fabulous is both their technique and their
ability to transpose. The issue is, how much tolerance is there for
such a thing? Is this a good thing to do?

On the other hand, there are genuine practical problems that arise
when one cannot transpose. I'll mention one and drop the point.

One evening many years ago, Alan Balter and I were doing the Nutcracker
Ballet. At the end of the first act we took a break and after that
came back to play the second act.

During the hiatus, someone had knocked over Alan's A clarinet
without telling him. When he discovered that the instrument would not
play, he simply picked up the B-flat and played the whole second act
on it, AND IT HAD SOME MURDEROUS TRASPOSITIONAL PASSAGES. I was
impressed, in fact I was flabbergasted. But what choice did he have?

End of story.

====================================
Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
(leeson@-----.edu)
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