Klarinet Archive - Posting 000624.txt from 1997/04

From: Everett Austin <austine@-----.edu>
Subj: RE: Zemlinsky Trio
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 01:29:15 -0400

The Hindemith Quintet uses the Eb clarinet (that is what Es means in
German). The Bruch Acht Stuecke do use both A and Bb clarinets and one
piece requires a switch.

On Sat, 19 Apr 1997, Lord Rob wrote:

> >After the performance, someone asked me if it was
> >common for chamber music to require both A and B flat clarinets. I said I
> >thought it was unusual. Stravinsky aside, are there other chamber music
> >pieces that require both?
>
> Yes, there's a rather famous one that requires both: Bartok's Contrasts. Of
> course, you *could* play the first 2 movements on Bb (the edition in my
> school's music library even includes both parts, just in case), but it's far
> more difficult, IMHO. (This is, of course, the same piece that requires 2
> separate *violins*!)
>
> Also, the Hindemith Quintet requires both. Well, actually, the second
> instrument is "Klarinette in Es", which I assume is A and not C clarinet.
>
> Those are two that come to mind. But as near as I can figure, both clarinets
> were not used in the same chamber music piece until the modern era, since
> I can't think of any pre-modern example of this.
>
> Rob Teitelbaum
> Claremont McKenna College
>
>