Klarinet Archive - Posting 000839.txt from 1997/05

From: Jacqueline Eastwood <eastwooj@-----.EDU>
Subj: Which clarinet to use? was Re: A clarinet
Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 09:24:26 -0400

On Wed, 28 May 1997, Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.edu wrote:

> So the question arises as to what the motivation was for a composer
> to use a specifically pitched clarinet in music of the late 1700s. And
> it is a pleasure to grapple on this problem with such an articulate
> person who demonstrates a keen intellect.
>
<Large text cut>

> =======================================
> Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
> Rosanne Leeson, Los Altos, California
> leeson@-----.edu
> =======================================
>
May I join the fray? I've been waiting to ask Dan this for a while, but
he was off the list.

My basic question is, why would an Italian opera composer write for C
clarinet (specifically in 'Traviata", which I just played, ON THE RIGHT
CLARINETS!!) To further explain, it is known that Italian clarinet
players at the time this opera was written generally used one instrument
only: a Bb instrument with a low Eb extension. This enabled them to
transpose any A clarinet parts with low E's. But Puccini wrote
specifically for Bb and C clarinet in this opera; the C parts are
generally in "cheerier" areas such as "Sempre Libera".

My orchestra colleague insists that Puccini would not have specified for C
clarinet expecting the clarinettist to actually play a C clarinet, because
most Italian clarinettist didn't even have A clarinets, let alone C's. He
thinks it has to do with making life easier for the score copyist.

I reply that Puccini seems to want the sound characteristics of the C in
the C parts, and the Bb in the Bb parts (it sort of goes along with the
mood of the events unfolding onstage, if you know what I mean). If he was
trying to make life easier for the copyist, why not have the whole thing
written out in C? And for sake of transposition, some of those C parts
would have been a breeze on the A (E major in C transposes to F# major in
Bb (ugh!) but to G major in A).

But Italian clarinet players didn't have C clarinets, so Puccini was an
idiot for writing for them (or else he was just kidding).

Help, Dan!! Can you provide any facts (as opposed to conjectures?)

Anxiously awaiting your erudition,

Jacqueline Eastwood
University of Arizona/Arizona Opera Orchestra
eastwooj@-----.edu