Klarinet Archive - Posting 000204.txt from 1996/06

From: Nick Shackleton <njs5%cam.ac.uk@-----.BITNET>
Subj: Dan's comments on Low Eb clarinets
Date: Fri, 14 Jun 1996 15:09:31 -0400

Excellent information, Dan. It sounds as though in Italy the move away from
low Eb instruments must be relatively recent since I am sure you are not
suggesting that the low Eb tradition in Italy has always been entirely at
the Sicilian banda level. I am very grateful for the information and make no
apology for needling you into providing it.
The former distribution of top-level players using instruments with low Eb
is so far as I know poorly investigated (incidentally Al Rice drew my
attention to an advertisement from the New York maker Bertelling for a low D
instrument as their top-of-the-line model).
The discussion originated in the suggestion that Italian players used to
routinely transpose A parts and therefore Italian composers may have
anticipated that this would happen; obviously your observations do not
exclude this at the period that was being discussed (unless you are older
than I think). Indeed I think it is a persuasive argument.
The wider questions of (a) how widespread the availability of low Eb was and
(b) how widespread the practise of having a low Eb instrument in order to
transpose and save having an A, are different and are both interesting.
Certainly I know of examples of Albert, Oehler, Barret Action, Boehm
clarinets with low Eb made in and/or used in England, Ireland, Belgium,
Germany, USA, France to name a few and for several of these I have evidence
relating the instruments to top-level (not "banda") players.
cheers, Nick
Nick Shackleton, University of Cambridge, Godwin Laboratory,
Free School Lane, Cambridge CB2 3RS, UK
phone: (44) 1223 334876
fax: (44) 1223 334871
home phone 1223 311938
e-mail: NJS5@-----.uk