Klarinet Archive - Posting 000828.txt from 1997/05

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.edu>
Subj: RE: A clarinet
Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 09:24:15 -0400

One more point with respect to Gary's request for proof that
some composers request clarinets of specific pitch because of
their tonal characteristics.

Nick Shackleton in a private note made a wonderful point that
I never thought of. If Rufus Airie (who was at that time
one of America's very finest clarinet players) was playing
the written notes on the wrong clarinet, then Stravinsky
could have recognized the problem because what was coming out
was in the wrong key.

Alternatively, if Airie was transposing the notes (which I
find difficult to believe), then Stravinsky heard the right
notes but the wrong sonic palette.

But that's not the point of this note. I thought of another
very good example to illustrate the point.

In Elektra of Richard Strauss (which calls for a massive
clarinet section - I did it last at the San FRancisco Opera
and there were clarinet players in all directions), he uses
four soprano clarinets, two in B-flat and two in A simultaneously.

There is no rational reason for doing such a thing except for
sonic palette (or the unlikely possibility that both A
clarinet players were honking on their lowest tone, a note
not available on the tranditional B-flat clarinet).

So Gary, I say "Feh!" to you. And "double Feh" which, in
certain areas of Italy is an invitation to a life and death
duel!!

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Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
Rosanne Leeson, Los Altos, California
leeson@-----.edu
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