Klarinet Archive - Posting 000050.txt from 1997/06

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.edu>
Subj: RE: transcription and key signature
Date: Sat, 7 Jun 1997 09:45:05 -0400

> From: MX%"klarinet@-----.59
> Subj: transcription and key signature

>
>
>
> Gary VanCott = NHIN
> 06/06/97 01:28 PM
> In the near future I plan to transcribe some string quartet music for
> clarinet quartet. I am interested to know how list participants feel about
> what key signature should be used.
>
> Assuming all other things are equal (they never are of course), would you
> prefer a transcription in which the first clarinet played the first violin
> part as written or one in which the first clarinet part was transposed so
> the sounding key was the same as the original first violin part? Are either
> of these options customary in transcriptions?

I used to play a lot of string quartets on clarinets. We generally
used 2 sopranos, basset horn for viola, and bass for cello. Over a
period of several years we went through a great deal of literature
including many Mozart, Beethoven, and Haydn quartets. Some of them
were simply unplayable because of range or the requirements for
double stops. But for those we played, we tried it several ways.

1. Play the work as written. This results in the final
product coming out in a different key than intended.

2. Transpose at sight. This allowed the orginal key to
sound but the work was often more difficult to execute
under these circumstances.

3. Use C clarinets for the two violin parts and have
only the b.h. and b.c. transpose. The pitch achieved
was what the composer intended. Once or twice we used
A clarinets but the effort was never successful.

Personally, I always preferred 1. I would have accepted 2 on
theoretical grounds of performing in the composer specified
key, but since we were performing on clarinets and not on
strings, the composer's intentions had already been violated.
3 was OK but I still preferred 1.

>
> Thanks for your thoughts.
>
> Gary Van Cott
> Las Vegas, NV
>
> Gary_VanCott@-----.com
>
>
=======================================
Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
Rosanne Leeson, Los Altos, California
leeson@-----.edu
=======================================