Klarinet Archive - Posting 000516.txt from 1995/11

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
Subj: Neil Leupold and Mahler's 4th
Date: Wed, 29 Nov 1995 21:36:35 -0500

Neil says that the Mahler 4 has a movement in which the 3rd clarinet player
is directed to pickup the b.c. but doesn't play a thing after making the
switch.

I played Mahler 4 last about 2 years ago and as I remember I got the
feeling that Mahler had become especially anal retentive at that point;
normally when changing to another instrument he asked the player to do
something but in this case I think he wanted the bass clarinet cuddled
because it has so little to do in the 4th. In fact, the part is
advertised as 3rd clarinet, not as the b.c. part.

I think Mahler thought that the b.c. was getting lonely, sad, dejected,
and unloved. It was a pyschological parallel with Mahler's sex life,
which I understand was also non-existent at this and all other times.

He may have been the most anal retentive person in all Austria at the
time of composition of that work. One psychiatrist suggested that
he was constipated from Jan. 4, 1897 until Oct. 11, 1912. It may
be a record of some sort.

Angst!!

====================================
Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
(leeson@-----.edu)
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