Klarinet Archive - Posting 000858.txt from 1997/05
From: Roger Shilcock <roger.shilcock@-----.uk> Subj: Re: Which clarinet to use? was Re: A clarinet Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 09:24:44 -0400
Jacqueline E.
Don't you mean "Verdi"?
Howver, both Verdi and Puccini no doubt hoped their works would be
produced *outside* Italy (France? U.S.A? Russia? Argentina?).
Roger Shilcock
On Thu, 29 May 1997, Jacqueline Eastwood wrote:
> Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 13:11:59 -0700 (MST)
> From: Jacqueline Eastwood <eastwooj@-----.EDU>
> Reply-To: klarinet@-----.us
> To: leeson@-----.us
> Subject: Which clarinet to use? was Re: A clarinet
>
> 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
>
>
|
|
|