Klarinet Archive - Posting 001052.txt from 1997/09

From: Roger Garrett <rgarrett@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: Well, here we go again
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 00:41:14 -0400

On Mon, 22 Sep 1997, Craig E. G. Countryman wrote:

> I can tell you that around here, Roger, it is a sin to play the Eb, een
> when it has solo parts. Why? "Because the director doesn't like it's
> sound! Besides, the parts are always transposed and cued to the Solo Bb
> so what's the difference." Those are excuses that I don't like, because
> if you have the correct clarinet around it is insane to transpose! That
> is ten times worse than not making an effort to track down a C, or not
> being able to find one.

Eb clarinet parts, except in some of the later works for original band
music, were written to double the flute and/or piccolo parts. The reason
they were scored in as a double was because, in the early 20th C., high
school flute players were hard to come by........not as many as today.
The line was hard to hear. Dr. William D. Revelli used to discuss this
intersting aspect of band scoring.......I was always fascinated by the
fact that, upon winning the national high school championship (5 times!)
with the Hobart band, he was treated to private discussions with Sousa.
Cornet parts....same problem today. Rarely does one find cornets in a
band. The Shoenberg Theme and Variations for Band called for cornet,
trumpet and flugel horn parts.....and specifically for those instruments.
Somewhat rare today.

RG