Klarinet Archive - Posting 000870.txt from 1997/05

From: Jrykorten@-----.com
Subj: Re: Some stupid questions? - A Clarinet sound
Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 10:51:18 -0400

Rafe,

I agree that clarinets have changed, that German clarinets sound different is
maybe a point but these differences may be easily overidden by
mouthpiece/reed combo in terms of sound quality.

But the point is if an A and a Bb sound different today, chances are they
sounded different back then too. So wouldn't it be safe to assume that the
*difference* the composer heard is what he was after when specifying a
particular instrument (eg Stravinsky)?

Jerry Korten
NYC

In a message dated 97-05-30 10:34:21 EDT, Rafe wrote:

<<
==>If we accept that the composer's intention as regarding the proper
key/tonality of the transposing instrument directed in the score as
gospel -- which seems just enough -- then should we not accept that
scores by composers who wrote for German clarinets should be played
on like instruments, since those instruments produce a different
sound? Similarly, if clarinets have changed in the last 200 years,
and we're after the composer's intentions, shouldn't we be playing
reed-up?
A stupid question? I don't know, -- you tell me (Dan L.?)

Rafe T.
readme@-----.com/~rtenn

>>