Klarinet Archive - Posting 000177.txt from 1996/06

From: C&K Hill <hutchill@-----.AU>
Subj: Sound characteristics- a reply
Date: Wed, 12 Jun 1996 18:18:15 -0400

For those of you with a little patience for this subject,

A few arguments for your consideration/demolition/whatever...

Now the tonal difference between period clarinets in A, Bb & C is pretty
well indisputable. While not really wanting to open the whole period versus
modern debate (pointless, since both are a fact of life) the difference is
so blindingly obvious on early instruments that that players accept this as
a matter of course. It is MUCH greater than between modern instruments in A
and Bb - NOT the type of difference that only fellow clarinettists can hear,
but one that is readily discernable to all ones musical collegues. I have
found this to be the case in rehearsals with good string players; I am sure
other players would agree with me here.

In fact the extreme difference between the A and C clarinets is given by
Backofen as a reason why the Bb instrument should be regarded as the primary
instrument, so that the difference to the A would be lessened. Still not
convinced? Ask yourself why nearly all clarinet concertos of the period are
for the Bb clarinet, when all three sizes (and more) were available. If not
for the particular characteristics of that instrument - colour-dynamic-
fluency- then why? So one would hopefully be able to assume that composers
were also able to hear these differences too!

In this light it seems to me to be re-inventing the wheel a bit to need to
search through historical records to learn that the instruments were
perceived to have different tonal characteristics. The passage Dan quotes
from Colin Lawson's book is fine (great book - do get a copy) but why not go
to the primary source: the instruments themselves. He who has ears let him
(her) hear!

Now whether our modern clarinets have retained these tonal differences in
greater/equal/lesser degree is another question entirely. (Perhaps more so
in the case of the C clarinet.) In any case, it does seem questionable to
apply this information from eighteenth and early nineteenth century writings
to performances on modern instruments. After all, Francoeur et al were
writing about a different beast entirely. (An instrument of light boxwood,
with a small mouthpiece, few keys, and lots of cross fingerings.) There
seems little worth in being pedantic about playing on the A versus B flat
clarinet when one is not playing an instrument anything like what the
composer imagined anyway, except if it helps bring about a better tuned or
more musical performance.

The difficulties one encounters in tuning and tessitura when playing many C
clarinet parts on the B flat clarinet (many Mozart Overtures in C major for
example) should be enough to persuade us to re-instate this instrument, but
again whether the COLOUR is all that different on modern instruments is
still debatable. And how THAT difference relates to the difference between
two period instruments is another matter still. Ask yourself why the C
clarinet was so popular in France at about 1800, and why it is not so
popular now. The answer isn't just that our taste has changed.

The Key Signature/ Colour question revisited:

As Dan has pointed out in his OCR article, the primary criteria for
selecting a clarinet during the classic period was the key signature. As he
mentioned, this is borne out by many references in tutors. Backofen,
Vanderhagen and Lefevre come to mind.

Doesn't it then follow that if a composer has chosen a key, and then is
"forced" by virtue of the key to choose a clarinet that s/he feels doesn't
suit the music, then the solution is simply DON'T WRITE FOR THE CLARINET.
Nobody MAKES a composer write for our instrument. And the absence of
clarinets in a particular work doesn't always mean that they weren't
available. Composers don't always write for the maximum forces available to
them. Surely there are cases where (perish the thought) the composer
deliberately left us out.

On the other hand, if a composer really wants a particular clarinet, they
could choose the key especially to help us out. There are plenty examples of
that.

But there are still other criteria for choice of instrument, avoiding a
quick change to a cold clarinet for example (impossible with "corps de
rechange" anyway). The often cited openings to Beethoven's Leonore Overtures
2&3 may be an example of this, but consider that the C clarinet has a
beautiful fluid purity and sweetness which might also be appropriate. (Then
when the theme comes during the opera on the B flat clarinet it has added
richness and depth.) And the key of Ab is not too difficult on the period C
clarinet either.... I wouldn't like to say that it was just a fortunate
accident.. On the contrary, there are so many times when Beethoven writes
the minimum amount for the clarinet - I reckon he knew what he was doing!

Craig Hill,
Melbourne, Australia.

PS. Greetings to Ingrid Pearson, I hope your recital of the Danzi went well.
I came across a notice for it on the internet quite by accident! Cheers.

   
     Copyright © Woodwind.Org, Inc. All Rights Reserved    Privacy Policy    Contact charette@woodwind.org