Klarinet Archive - Posting 000918.txt from 1997/05

From: fersilv@-----.net
Subj: Re: Use of different key clarinets
Date: Sat, 31 May 1997 20:23:15 -0400

>Date: Sat, 31 May 1997 21:11:36
>To: leeson@-----.edu
>From: fersilv@-----.net
>Subject: Re: Use of different key clarinets
>
> Dan, good story.
> =20
> Second moral of this story: never underestimate the beutiful sound
and tone of all the clarinets( Alto-Clarinet????????).
>
> Thanks
> =20
> Fernando Silveira
> Principal Clarinet - National Symphony - Brazil
> Chamber Music Professor - Rio de Janeiro Federal University
>=20
> =20
>
>At 15:15 31/05/97 EDT, you wrote:
>>> From: MX%"klarinet@-----.07
>>> Subj: Re: Use of different key clarinets
>>
>>> That is a good discussion and I would like to tell you about the
>>> situation in Brazil.
>>> Until early 70's, ANY professional clarinet players in Brazil=
had A
>>> clarinets. You can trust me... They always transpose the A clarinet=
parts
>>> to play on Bb clarinet with low Eb. I have a record where the professor=
of
>>> my professor plays Mozart Concerto on a transposed Bb clarinet... Can=
you
>>> imagine it???
>>> On that time several conductors like Kurt Mazur, Bernstein and=
Mazel
>>> were here and none of them ask about play on A clarinet( scores like
>>> Tchaikowsky 6th, Ravel's Daphinis et Clo@-----.
>>> I belive that we, clarinet players, can fell diference betwen Bb=
and
>>> A clarinets, but the conductor...(Maybe one that also play clarinet)
>>>=20
>>> Regards
>>>=20
>>> Fernando Silveira
>>> Principal Clarinet - National Symphony - Brazil
>>> Chamber Music Professor - Rio de Janeiro Federal University
>>>=20
>>
>>Fernando, this is a wonderful story and I am glad you told it to us.
>>I have two really wonderful anecdotes on this matter.
>>
>>Herb Blayman was playing with the Utah Symphony as a young man and
>>they were doing Schubert 9th. The second movement is for an A
>>clarinet (I think) but Blayman played it on B-flat. The conductor
>>asked him to change to A and he did. When I heard the story I
>>was impressed that the conductor could hear a difference (if indeed
>>he did hear one - read on).
>>
>>Hans Rudolf Stalder told me almost exactly the same story in=20
>>a rehearsal of the same work with his Swiss orchestra. Conductor
>>did the same thing: stopped and asked him to play in on an A
>>and not the B-flat. But here the story changes.
>>
>>Stalder did not have his B-flat with him, so he made some body motions
>>as if to change clarinets and went back to his A. The conductor
>>smiled and said, "See how much better it sounds with the right
>>clarinet?"
>>
>>Moral of this story: never ask for anything discerning, musically
>>intelligent, or knowledgeable from a conductor. You will always
>>be disappointed.
>