Klarinet Archive - Posting 000756.txt from 1996/02

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
Subj: 18th century clarinet tutors
Date: Sun, 25 Feb 1996 12:12:06 -0500

For a research project I am working on, I need access to clarinet tutors
of the 18th century, roughly 1760-1800 and even into 1830 but no further.
Among those who, supposedly, created such tutors wereJ.G.H. Backhofen.
There are probably a ton of others.

Does anyone out there know of such things, where they might be located
(i.e., in which library), etc?

While today such things may be examined with awe, they were probably no
more (or less) special than today's Rubank method for clarinet or
Langenus books. They were the books for clarinet players of the times.
But they also served an important historical purpose. Composers would
use these book to learn what was possible (and/or impossible) on these
then relatively new instruments.

For example, if 150 years from now someone wanted to know the kinds of
things that could be accomplished on a 20th clarinet, he or she could do
a lot worse than to find a copy of the Rose or Kroepsch studies and
examine them to find out keys that were typical, intervals that were
avoided, etc.

Mostly I am interested in studying those tutors to find out something
about the key signatures used by 18th century composers (and early
19th century composers too).

Any help available?

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