Klarinet Archive - Posting 001043.txt from 1995/10

From: Karl Krelove <KClarinet@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Brahms 4th
Date: Mon, 30 Oct 1995 08:17:39 -0500

Just to put in my $.02. I have played Brahm's 4th a number of times and
have found I'm actually just as comfortable playing it on (I know everyone's
gonna love this) an A clarinet. There is nothing much that is exposed enough
(only one real solo, very short), IMHO, to warrant worrying about the tone
quality (which is undeniably heavier than that of a C instrument) and I've
never had a conductor stop to complain about it (some of them might not have
been able to tell if I had plotted to have an oboist play for me instead, but
that's another issue entirely :) ). Some of the passagework actually lies
better on an A clarinet than it does on a Bb. The advantage of more
consistent intonation - if I do change instruments, the beginning of the 4th
movement is sheer torture when I pick up the cold A clarinet, not to mention
the 3rd movement itself needing to be tuned on the fly for half a page until
a cold Bb instrument warms up - seem to me to outweigh the questionable
problem of unauthentic sound quality. I have to admit, I'd have a real
dilemma if I had a C clarinet available. Who knows? I might still use an A
for that movement (not) :) .