Klarinet Archive - Posting 000093.txt from 1995/05

From: SCOTT MCCHESNEY <scmcchesney@-----.NET>
Subj: Instrument questions
Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 04:15:48 -0400

Most esteemed colleagues of the list...

(Well, I can't really say I'm a colleague, but you get the idea.)

I have a question that maybe you can help me with. I am working on
some music of mine and browsing through my orchestration book to check on a few
things. I happen to take a quick look over the woodwind section, and a few
questions popped up.
As I look over the instruments comprising the WW family (Flute, Oboe,
Clarinet, and Bassoon) I notice that the Clarinet is "best" in terms of
technical considerations, as well as a few other things. Now, I am not going
to get into the debate of which instrument is best; we already know the
Clarinet is. :) What I'm curious about is:
The Clarinet, in its current form, has no technical limitations on
fingering combinations, trills, tremolos, etc. We all know that some are
harder than others, but just about any combination of notes is playable.
Flutes are plagued by impossible tremolos in the extreme low register; Bassoons
have trill and tremolo problems all over the instrument (how'd an instrument
with so many problems make it this far, anyway?); Bassoons and Oboes both
have dynamic control problems in the lower register; and the Flute has a
distinct penetration problem from third-space C on down, unless the
orchestration is done with care.
The Clarinet, on the other hand, has no such problems - even the throat
tones can be improved to the point that there is little to no difference in
tone quality to the rest of the instrument. Also (and I quote):

"The dynamic range of the clarinet is greater than any other wind
instrument in terms of extremes...No other woodwind instrument or brass
instrument offers such a variety of tone color possibilities...The register
chosen...is simply a matter of taste, since the dynamic range allowable allows
an appropriate balance to be maintained no matter what voicing is selected."

The above quotation is from one of my orchestration books
("Instrumentation/Orchestration", Alfred Blattter, 1980) and it goes on to show
several examples of Clarinet technique - in both Soprano and Bass, I might add.
Now, before you begin to cry "prejudice" or other such things, I happen
to love Oboes, though I can't play them to save my life; an Oboe solo sends me
to heaven almost as fast as a French Horn solo (I'm at the base, instinct
level, a French Horn man first and a Clarinet man second; sorry!); my first
girlfriend was a first-rate Bassoonist; and if it weren't for Flute players,
we'd all be stuck hacking out those altissimo parts and bleeding from the lips
all the time. Aside from my wonder at how Bassoonists can play anything on
such a severely handicapped instrument, I wonder how we got so lucky?
Any answers out there for me?

-- Scott McChesney
-- SCMCCHESNEY@-----.net