Klarinet Archive - Posting 000841.txt from 1997/02

From: Roger Shilcock
Subj: Re: Another question about Dvorak #9 (fwd)
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 03:53:29 -0500

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 24 Feb 1997 10:37:30 -0600
From: Edwin V. Lacy <el2%evansville.edu@-----.UK>
Subject: Re: Another question about Dvorak #9

Thanks to Jonathan Cohler and Roger Shilcock for their answers to my
question. Now, I have a follow-up question:

On Sat, 22 Feb 1997, I wrote:

> >have a question about the clarinet part.
> >[snip.......]
> >There is a place in the 3rd movement, the Scherzo, specifically in the 2nd
> >Trio, where there are 8 measures during which the strings and higher

On Sun, 23 Feb 1997, Johathan Cohler wrote

> I have conducted and played this, and I believe that the marking for the
> sextuplet is correct. First, the sextuplet only lasts one beat, so it is
> possible to single tongue this by keeping the tongue at the tip of the
> reed, using just the tip of the tongue, and barely moving the tongue. I

My second question is, "Why?" Why did Dvorak write it this way? Jonathan
suggested that it was because a similer rhythm appears a little later in
the triangle. But, during the passage in question, even the strings are
marked "trill," when it would be easier for them to do a bowed tremolo
than for the clarinets to tongue that fast. And, the first two times that
the woodwinds play, the clarinets are instructed to trill, along with the
flutes. In looking at the score, I couldn't find what I thought was a
logical reason for changing the clarinet part in those two measures. Any
ideas? Speculation?

Thanks again.

Ed Lacy
*****************************************************************
Dr. Edwin Lacy University of Evansville
Professor of Music 1800 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, IN 47722
el2@-----.edu (812)479-2754
*****************************************************************

Moving on from my own angry starling" comment, perhaps there is an
extra-musical reason. Specifically, Dvorak might really have been trying
to introduce birdsong elements. The "dumpa-deee dumpa-dee dee.." tune of
the second trio is somewhat reminiscent of the beginning of a typical
European blackbird's song. (Note to North Americans: the European
blackbird is not an icterid but a thrush, closely related to the American
robin). The trill and sextuplet bits could be bird calls of some other kind.
Roger Shilcock