Klarinet Archive - Posting 000601.txt from 1995/05

From: "Lorne G. Buick" <lgbuick@-----.CA>
Subj: Re: Weird keys
Date: Sat, 20 May 1995 21:47:49 -0400

I've always wondered about this whole question too. The simplest
explanation I've heard is only a partial one, but it makes sense- in the
baroque period, D and C were considered bright keys, especially suited to
military music or glorious overtures and such, because the trumpets were
pitched in those keys. So if you wanted trumpets, you wrote in C or D. But
as I say, that's a very partial explanation and I know there's supposed to
be a lot more to it than that.

>In regard to the discussion of the different keys having different moods, or
>"colors" or whatever...
>
>I've always heard this, too, but I really can't tell the difference. Several
>things puzzle me about this proposition:
>
>1. If the orchestra is playing in Bb, a clarinet is playing in C. Wouldn't
>that mean that the clarinets would have the "color" of C (whatever that is),
>not Bb? And the Eb instruments would have the "color" of G, in this case.

The characteristics of the key must apply to the concert pitch, otherwise
it would be a hopeless hodge-podge. For example, it is possible to have
clarinets in Eb, A and Bb (bass) playing at the same time, along with D
trumpets, F, Eb, C, and Bb horn parts played on F/Bb double horns, etc.

I've also heard it said that many composers chose keys for extra-musical
reasons, and the character of the music they wrote came to be applied to
the key itself. For example Mozart wrote a lot of his Masonic music in
three flats because of the Masonic associations of the number Three- hence
Eb/c minor became solemn/ mystical keys.

I'd love to hear some answers to the rest of Bill's questions...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
LGB Lorne G Buick Draft III Music
lgbuick@-----.ca Wind Music
Arranging, Copying, Publishing
Have basset horn, will travel