Klarinet Archive - Posting 000385.txt from 1996/03

From: Donald Yungkurth <DYungkurth@-----.COM>
Subj: C clarinet discussion
Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 12:46:37 -0500

I think that, after reading the discussions by Dan, Dan and others about
transposing or using the designated clarinet, that it is beginning to smell
of dead horse. I don't detect all that much difference, except in semantics,
about one man's opinions and another's facts.

Dan L. argues about doing as the composer requests, but I recall statements
from him in the past about playing the solo from the "Grand Canyon Suite" on
the wrong horn, even though he owned both A and Bb bass clarinets. I think I
also recall that he would play "Till" on Eb. Whether I've gotten these
things correct or not doesn't matter, because the discussion seems to have
become the important thing when there is no absolute fact to put forward.

Another Dan to Dan statement went as follows, in part:

>But when opinion is offered about the "right"way to do >something to the
exclusion of any other way, that's >nothing more than saying, "My taste is
better than yours. >I'm experienced in this sort of thing. You can trust
>my judgement. My way is better."

So, what's the point? I think this applies equally well to performers *and
to composers*. Consider that, while we know what the composer asked for,
unless that composer has somewhere stated his/her philosophy of clarinet
choice, specifying a particular clarinet may well constitute opinion about
what the performer might prefer!

Certainly, there is evidence that some composers, R. Strauss for example,
clearly specified certain clarinets and made a big deal about it when their
wishes were ignored. That doesn't necessarily extrapolate to Beethoven,
Brahms or Grofe. According to one comment on this list (I don't know if it
is "fact"), Strauss suggested he might have been wrong in specifying D
instead of Eb in "Till". If so, even those composers who are strongly
opinionated can be wrong.

I think there is an assumption in these discussions (and I believe, Dan L.
has given this view in the past) that composers are on a higher plane of
artistry than performers. I will certainly agree it is a *different* plane,
but it is opinion that composers are superior. This view sells performers
short (*in my opinion*), because without the performer there is no music,
except in the head of those few who can read scores and that is a highly
idealized situation, because there are no technical problems, including
instrument choice and transposition with score reading.

This discussion seems to *really* be about whether composer and performer are
both artists or whether they represent artist and technician. I vote
(opinion again) for both as artists.

Don Yungkurth (DYungkurth@-----.com)