Klarinet Archive - Posting 000670.txt from 1997/06

From: Gary Young <gyoung@-----.com>
Subj: barrels; Penderecki Prelude
Date: Mon, 30 Jun 1997 14:30:08 -0400

To everyone--

Here are two questions I asked earlier, the second one last year. I got
one response to the first, none to the second. I thought I'd give them a
try once again. Please, someone adopt these poor orphan questions and give
them a home! TIA for anyone's help.

1) The A clarinet is pitched lower than the B flat and is longer overall.
So
how come barrels for B flat clarinets are typically longer than barrels for
A clarinets?

I think the one response to this question -- I can't recall from whom --
said barrels for B flats are NOT typically longer. But my B flat barrel is
longer than my A (by 1 mm.), and the barrel ads and catalog listings I've
seen usually make longer barrels available for B flat than for A, and never
make longer barrels available for A than B flat. Usually B flats are
available to 68 mm., and As to 67, less often to 68, mm. (I just confirmed
this by reference to the new catalog of International Musical Suppliers, at
pages 78-79.)

A further related question: Is there really any difference between barrels
for B flat and barrels for A clarinets? (I know some barrels work better
on some clarinets. I'm asking if some barrels work better on B flat
clarinets as a group than A clarinets as a group, or what might be the same
thing, whether some barrels are made to work with B flats and some with
As.) Each of my R-13s came with its own barrel, the A barrel stamped "A,"
the one for B flat without any special stamp. But I haven't hesitated to
use the A barrel on my B flat, and vice-versa, when intonation required
that. I also have other barrels of other lengths that I use on both cls
(though not at the same time). I know other clarinetists who do the same,
and none who don't. Some makers, but not all, market their barrels
indifferently for B flats and As. So is there really any difference?

2) In the second-to-last line of the unaccompanied Penderecki Prelude
(publ. Schott) there is a pattern involving C (line below clef) and a
d-flat' (fourth line of clef) which I can't figure out. I'd appreciate
help from anyone in understanding and playing this.

The pattern appears twice in slightly different forms.

In the first occurrence a C eighth-note is followed by a C quarter-note in
parentheses; the two are joined by a tie. Above the parenthetical
quarter-note is a d-flat' quarter note, tied to a d-flat' eighth-note.

In the second occurrence a C eighth-note and quarter-note are tied (neither
in parentheses), and above the quarter note is an eighth rest followed by
an eighth-note and quarter-note d-flat', tied together.

In each case, it appears that Penderecki wants the C to start, then after
an eighth rest the d-flat' to enter, and then after an eighth or
quarter-beat the C stops while the d-flat' continues.

Does Penderecki want a multiphonic here? If so, does anyone have a
multiphonic fingering that might produce just these two pitches (C and
d-flat') in the required sequence (it has to work without a lot of noise;
the passage is marked p)? If not a multiphonic, what is this? What do the
parentheses mean -- that the continued C is optional? If so, why no
parentheses the second time?

Thanks for your help!

Gary Young
Madison, Wisconsin