Klarinet Archive - Posting 000621.txt from 1996/04

From: Ian Dilley <imd@-----.UK>
Subj: Difficult bit in Mozart concerto
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 1996 07:51:43 -0400

Hi,
I've not posted anything to this list before but I have been lurking
around for a couple of months. So first maybe I should tell you a bit
about myself. I'm basically a born-again clarinet player. I played the
clarinet when I was at school but gave up at about the age of 18. I'm now
almost 40 and about a year ago started playing clarinet again. In the
meantime I have been playing jazz piano in amateur bands so I didn't just
give up music for twenty odd years.

Anyhow, with all the recent discussion going on about the Mozart concerto I
dug out my copy that I used to play years ago and started practicing.
There is a passage in the last movement that I just couldn't get even
close to. I'm sure most of you will know the one. It goes
ACGCFCECC(octave lower)CGC etc. in semiquavers (16th notes?). I bought a
recording of Jack Brymer playing this and he plays the passage an octave
lower than it's written which is much easier. Is this normal practice?

I suppose I must have been taught to play it this way as a kid since I
don't remember this piece having such a difficult passage in it.

I have now found a way to play this in the right register but it involves
propping the end of the instrument on a table or holding it between my
knees if I'm sitting down. I take my right hand away from where it should
be and use my thumb and forefinger of my right hand on the throat A key and
register key and at the same time press the two trill keys on the right
hand side with my little finger. This way I can play it really fast
although the tuning isn't all it could be.

I don't suppose this is really a practical way to do it. It would look
pretty silly if you were stood in front of an orchestra and had to stick
the clarinet on some sort of stand to play this passage.

Ian Dilley