Klarinet Archive - Posting 000345.txt from 1997/03

From: "J. Lawrie Bloom" <l-bloom@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Low C Bass Cl - When did they come into common use? (fwd)
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 1997 09:51:25 -0500

>On Sun, 9 Mar 1997, Gary Van Cott wrote:
>
>> I am looking at a clarinet quartet which has a bass clarinet part
>> written in bass clef. It is French and from 1937. If played as written,
>> it is full of low Cs. I don't believe playing it an octave higher would
>> make sense because of the range in general and the fact that this would
>> take the part up to an altissimo A.
>
>According to the book "The Technique of Orchestration" by Kent Kennan, it
>was customary in the 19th century for the bass clarinet, when written in
>bass clef, to sound only a M2 lower than written, rather than a M9. I
>would be a little surprised to see that as late as 1937, but I suppose it
>could happen. I would guess that altissimo A and low C would be about
>equally rare at this period.

I think I'm getting a little confused in this paragraph. When written in
bass clef the bass clarinet *always* sounds a M2 lower. So what does "as
late as 1937" mean? And Les Hugenauts by Meyerbeer has a bass clarinet
cadenza with an altissimo G, premiered on Feb 29, 1836.
>
>Ed Lacy
>el2@-----.edu
>Surely Shostakovich bass clari parts are written this way?

Which way? In my experience all Shostakovich parts are written in treble,
sounding a M9 lower. Have others seen parts in bass clef?

Janacek parts
>certainly are - and he used the low C in the 1920s.

also written in treble, and Db is the lowest I ever saw.

No doubt there were
>more Low C instruments around in Czechoslovakia then in France.

Interesting supposition. Is it true?

>Roger Shilcock

--
J. Lawrie Bloom
clarinet and bass clarinet Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Northwestern University l-bloom@-----.edu