Klarinet Archive - Posting 000240.txt from 1996/03

From: Jacqueline G Eastwood <eastwooj@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: C Clarinets and transposition
Date: Fri, 8 Mar 1996 14:03:10 -0500

Hi Don,

Just to add a bit to my previous comments (via which I had hoped to
provoke some response from Dan re: solutions, but I guess it didn't
work!) Transpositions are usually into nastier keys when reading C on
your Bb; that's probably why people prefer to use the A -- to cut down
on the sharps! But what a vast difference that creates in tone colour!
I have to say that I don't agree with that practice -- we really should
get as close as possible to the composer's imagined sound, IMHO. As far
as blending, I'm thinking (obviously) in terms of opera parts and the
types of pitch problems we encounter most often. Perhaps orchestral
part-writing presents easier-to-match intervals -- opera parts can be a
lot tougher, even when both are using the same pitch horn, esp. such
things as throat tones to upper octaves. Oh, gosh, maybe I'm just an
idealist -- but I think it would sound REALLY COOL to have everyone play
the right horn at the right time! Too bad we can't have all the
clarinets we want for free!

P.S. I would consider myself marginally or semi-professional at best --
but if anyone out there wants to give me a more permanent job, let me
know! I'm definitely available.

Jacqueline Eastwood
University of Arizona/Arizona Opera Orchestra
eastwooj@-----.edu
On Thu, 7 Mar 1996, Donald
Yungkurth wrote:

> Dan Leeson and Jacqueline G Eastwood have gotten the discussion of C
> clarinets going again. To some extent, this exchange seems to be from a
> professional standpoint, i. e., what is acceptable for a professional
> clarinetist when the composer specifies C clarinet? I follow these topics
> with interest although, without a C clarinet, I know what my solution will
> be!
>
> At the amateur level, in community orchestras, the standards and goals may
> need to be bent a bit more, because of availabilty of instruments and the
> ability of performers. Jacqueline says, for example:
>
> >1) Assuming there are two clarinet parts, both players >really need to use
> the same pitch horn or it just won't >work.
>
> At a rehearsal of a Strauss waltz, written for C clarinet, I was playing the
> 2nd part on my Bb and thinking that the 1st and I were sounding quite well
> together and playing in tune etc. I was particularly intent on listening and
> blending well, since I hadn't played with this person before.
>
> The next work we rehearsed called for the A clarinet. As I was changing
> instruments, I realized the other player *wasn't* changing to the A, because
> he had played the Strauss on the A. He said he routinely played C parts on
> the A, because he found the transposition easier that way.
>
> Does anyone else play C parts on the A clarinet?
>
> Don Yungkurth (DYungkurth@-----.com)
>