Klarinet Archive - Posting 000496.txt from 1995/03

From: Thomas Labadorf <Labadorf@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Configurations: Schubert
Date: Fri, 17 Mar 1995 22:56:51 -0500

In Laura Bornhoeft's message:

---
How was the group set up; specifically, where was the
clarinetist located?. . . Her teacher had us set up so that the
soprano was, as usual, standing in the curve of the piano. I was
standing at the far end of the piano, on her left.
---
This seems rather odd to me. It puts the clarinetist way out of the
performing group.

---
The soprano was in the usual location, but he had me standing on the
right-hand side - behind the pianist! How was the pianist to know what
the clarinetist was about to do? The pianist should be able to sense it
- maybe with a little glance out of the corner of the eye. This setup
visually puts the pianist at the center of the ensemble.
---
As mentioned, this set-up makes sense visually, but not much sense ensembly.
The times I performed it, I was almost in front of the pianist. The soprano
should always be in front of the crook as you mentioned. This way the
pianist can see everything and respond musically to the performers, which is
more important than how it looks.

Who is accompanying who? Two things are obvious. 1. The soprano is the
soloist. 2. The pianist is the accompanist. What about the clarinetist?
Definately obbligato. The New Harvard defines Obbligato: "An accompanying
part that is nevertheless of considerable importance and thus not to be
omitted."

Tom L.