Klarinet Archive - Posting 000264.txt from 1995/10

From: Bob Chesebro <Chesebro_Bob/furman@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: plating, C clarinet
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995 16:23:02 -0400

> re: plating, I have recently purchased an older C clarinet which has
> chrome plated keys (not original equipment, obviously). All my
previous
> experience was with silver plating, which "grabs" the fingers a bit
more
> than the nickel alloy typical to most professional clarinets. Chrome
is
> reputed to be very "slick", possibly causing fingers to fall off the
> keys, but in a month of regular use, I haven't had this trouble.
Chrome
> plating in this instance feels to me about the same as the regular
alloy
> plating, except I'm led to believe it will never wear out. I hope so!
>
> re: C clarinet - what a dull world it would be if all the members of
the
> clarinet family sounded like an excellent Bb. Upon obtaining my C, I
> immediately got out my parts to Symphonie Fantastique and Mahler Sym
#1,
> and played the "March to the Scaffold", and the "cuckoo" from the 1st
mvt
> of Mahler 1. These excerpts will never be the same to me, because the
C
> is the right (and very distinctive) color for these passages. The solo
at
> the end of the "March" is not only easier on the C, it has a much less
> "beautiful" quality, and more of a touch of madness (Dan won't *let*
me
> say bright!!!).
>
> In the slow movement of the Mahler, the passages for 2 Eb's and 2 C's
are
> much more unified tonally with the C clarinets than with the Bb's
> transposing. Even in Beethoven (we did "Beethoven Lives Upstairs" this
> week, so lots of excerpts), the last mvt of Smy 5, or the scherzo of
Sym
> 9 take on a completely different character with the C clarinet - much
> closer to the character of the oboes in Beethoven's orchestrations.
>
> So for me, it's Vive le difference.
>
> =========================
> David Niethamer
> niethamer@-----.edu
> dbnclar1@-----.com
> =========================
>
I wholeheartedly agree with the above in regard to C clarinets. I feel
that Mahler wanted the sound of a C clarinet. He, in my opinion, was a
master orchestrator, and knew exactly the kind of sound he wanted. The C
clarinet has a totally different quality from the soprano Bb/A and the
E-flat clarinets. This topic should be discuss more in THE CLARINET and
on the Internet.

Bob Chesebro
Furman Univ.