Klarinet Archive - Posting 000362.txt from 1997/03

From: "J. Lawrie Bloom" <l-bloom@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: low B in bass cl.part
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 1997 21:59:28 -0500

>I just wanted to highlight a question buried in my last post about low
>extension bass clarinets; I recently saw a part that seemed to call for a
>low B, under the 2nd ledger line of the bass clef (looks like a low G in
>treble clef). Is there such a note, even on extended bass clarinets? It
>wasn't just one B, either, and you had to play around this pitch (I don't
>think a paper towel liner-as-extension would work. It was a piece called
>"Air" by Ivana Loudova, written for Josef Horak.
>
I just checked the score for that and indeed there are the aforementioned
dreaded low B's. In a quick glance through the piano score I notice that
amost every time this mythical note appears it is in seconds with the
piano. Must be really beautiful. Josef must have an extension beyond the
extension to achieve this note, as I've never seen this written in any
other piece for any other player, and the piece was written for him. I
like the paper towel cardboard idea. Probably sound real nice too.

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