Klarinet Archive - Posting 000304.txt from 1996/01

From: thehat@-----.ORG
Subj: Debussy Premiere Rhap
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 1996 20:01:27 -0500

On 01-16-96, wrote to ** ALL **:

>------------------------------------
>I am studying the Debussy Premiere Rhapsody and have a question about
>some notes at the end of the piece. I have an edition by "Editions
>Durand & Co. At the very end, the Un peu Retenu(number 12 in my
>edition)the 3/4 section, what are the notes in the triplet of the 5th
>measure 3rd beat, supposed to be? I have printed a D-natural, E-flat,
>and G, but a question came up that it may be a misprint and those notes
>were supposed to be D-sharp, E-natural and G to mirror the quarter
>notes in the 4th measure from the end. I think what is written sounds
>right compared with the Paul Meyer and Frank Cohen recordings. Any
>suggestions would be appreciated.
>------------------------------------

I haven't heard either of these recordings.

The autograph score and the printed orchestral score to the Debussy
Rhapsodie read d#-e-g. The Durand (d-e-flat-g) was the first printed
edition of the work and has become the "traditional" way of playing this
passage. As far as I know it is the only edition to read this way. The
next measure in any edition has d#-e-g two octaves higher.

If you get the Peters edition, you wil find the d#-e-g in the clarinet
part. My teacher, Mr. Marcellus was very insistent that the three notes be
played d#-e-g, citing not only the autograph and the orchestral score but
claiming that he was told this by Bonade who learned it from Ansermet who
learned it from Debussy himself.

The Durand Edition has many other misprints throughout the work, in both
the clarinet and piano parts. These are detailed in Dennis Nygren's
doctoral dissertation. Interestingly, many players make quite an effort to
correct all of the misprints except those three notes at the end.

It's not for me to judge whether anyone is wrong to play it either way.
The overwhelming evidence, however, suggests that what the composer wrote
is d#-e-g.

David Hattner
clarinetist-at-large

---
This copy of Freddie 1.2.5 is being evaluated.

   
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