Klarinet Archive - Posting 000673.txt from 1996/03

From: Everett J Austin <BrendaA624@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: The proper clarinet
Date: Tue, 26 Mar 1996 02:49:52 -0500

Regarding some indignant comments recently registered vis-a vis
transcriptions:
I think there is a place for transcriptions, especially for instruments that
may not be represented in a particular period, because they were not yet
invented or were not yet popular. For example, baroque music works very well
on the saxophone, especially soprano (or, for example the excellent
arrangement of Bach's Art of the Fugue for saxophone quartet). The
saxophone, with its conical bore, has a rich range of overtones, as do
strings and the oboe, and sounds very good in this ersatz repertoire. The
clarinet is rather pallid, though it is fun to play the Bach transcriptions
of Delecluse.
The Rousseau Brahms transcriptions are challenging, having some significant
altissimo writing, so aren't to be sniffed at.
I have often thought that the Busoni Violin Sonatas would be very nice on the
alto saxophone and the Poulenc oboe sonata, a wonderful piece, perfect for
the soprano saxophone, though these have yet to be done to my knowledge.
One of the problems is that clarinet and saxophone repertoire is so limited
compared to piano, violin, etc. This makes it easy to want to branch out via
transcriptions, or to take offense when other instruments invade "sacred"
territory.

Everett Austin
Fairfax, CA