Klarinet Archive - Posting 000776.txt from 1996/04

From: Jacqueline Eastwood <eastwooj@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Denner D Clarinet
Date: Fri, 26 Apr 1996 12:43:25 -0400

Hi David,

I believe the difference between a two-keyed clarinet and a chalumeau can
be best explained by a chapter of Jack Brymer's book on the historical
development of the instrument. Basically, Johann Denner began
experimenting and produced "improved chalumeaux" round abouts of 1790.
These evolved into clarinets by 1800 by which time he had added a speaker
key (and the a key on the front) to
extend the compass by allowing the instrument to overblow. Note that it
should not be called an octave key, since it produces a twelfth above the
fundamental. The first clarinets had a theoretical (not dreadfully
practical!) range from f to d3.

The only reason this is so fresh in my mind is that I have been rekeying
my dissertation and I typed this section last weekend!

Jacqueline Eastwood
University of Arizona/Arizona Opera Orchestra
eastwooj@-----.edu

On Fri, 26 Apr 1996,
Dave Yee wrote:

> This is a response to James Instone's query about music for the D clarinet.
>
> In addition to the 6 concerti by Johann Melchior Molter mentioned by
> Jacqueline Eastwood, Ed Lowry, and Richard Faria, there is an overture or
> suite in D (HWV 424) by George Frideric Handel for 2 clarinets in D and a
> French horn (corno da caccia) in D. Mercury Music Corporation published a
> performance score in 1950, and Schott & Sons published another one in 1952.
> An "Urtext" appears in the Hallische Handel-Ausgabe, Series IV, Volume 15.
> All these scores are in concert pitch, but the introduction in the HHA
> explains that the piece was "probably" meant for D clarinets.
>
> Speaking of early music for the clarinet, I note that an apparently
> inordinate number of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach's works that call for
> clarinets are in the key of D. I wonder whether he had D clarinets in mind.
>
> If I may ask a tangential question, can anyone explain to me the difference
> between a two-keyed clarinet and a chalumeau?
>
> Dave Yee
>