Klarinet Archive - Posting 000371.txt from 1997/09

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Bb and A clarinets
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 1997 14:00:29 -0400

> From: MX%"klarinet@-----.11
> Subj: Re: Bb and A clarinets

> The C clarinet--I do own what I consider to be a very fine one and play it
> whenever possible--not when the need or the score always calls for it. Why?
> The tone quality is very distinctive--that is why many composers probably
> wrote for it--but if called for in pairs--as is so often the case--I do the
> transposing if only one C is available. At some earlier point in our history
> the C clarinet must have been quite prominent--I base this on the numbers that
> survive and also on a comment in the Lefevre Methode (ca. 1810) which was
> written for and used at the Paris Conservatory. There is a series of 12
> "sonatas" in the method--written in two parts only--the solo clarinet line
> and an unfigured bass line. Lefevre tells the player to have the bass line
> taken down a whole step if the clarinet solo is to be played on the Bb
>
> instrument.

Ron -- good to hear from you again.

The Lefevre (which was first published in 1802 and then reprinted a lot
of times) is one of the most important books in clarinet history. In
it he describes in great detail which of four kinds of clarinets should
be used under the circumstances of the sounding key of the composition.
For example, he suggests that if a work is in concert B-flat, then
a B-flat clarinet should be used in the written key of C major. He
covers almost every single major and minor key.

It was that book that completely reversed my thinking about clarinet
usage. I always presumed that the selection of the clarinet pitch
was based partly on the characteristic sound of the instrument. But
the evidence does not support that conclusion. If one can
extrapolate from Lefevre, the reason is much more practical; i.e.,
to force the clarinet (by change of instrument) into a key of no
more than two and preferably one sharp.

At that juncture of history, clarinet could ONLY be written in the
key of C, F, and G. So you forced this to happen by selecting
a clarinet pitch that would achieve that end result. For example,
if you were playing in concert B major, you chose a clarinet in
B-natural and wound up playing in written C.

It is a remarkable book and I have a copy of the 1802 printing.

>
> The Introduction, Theme and Variations of Rossini is played today on a Bb
> instrument with the accompaniment in the appropriate key--I know of no one
> who does the work on the original instrument asked for by the composer--
> the C clarinet. Has anyone out there played this work on the C? Just
> curious.
>
> Ron Monsen
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Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
Rosanne Leeson, Los Altos, California
leeson@-----.edu
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