Klarinet Archive - Posting 000891.txt from 1997/10

From: ROBERT HOWE <arehow@-----.net>
Subj: Re: Looking for Bass Clarinet in A
Date: Thu, 23 Oct 1997 07:42:40 -0400

Roger Garrett wrote:
>
> I would suggest that an A bass clarinet without the C extension would be a
> great waste of money.......many of the parts calling for A Bass Clarinet
> ask for the clarinetist to drop below a low Eb.

Perhaps this is true of 1990's works, but such should never call for A
bass clarinet. Name me a piece by Wagner, Strauss, Mahler, that call
for A bass clarinet to play a note below written E, three lines below
the treble staff, sounding C# two lines below the bass staff. THere are
none.

THe whole problem for us is that these folks treated A, Bb clarinets as
a pair, also D and Eb (Till, Le Sacre, Mazeppa), bass clarinets
likewise. But the bottom note was written E!!, and we modern bass
clarinettists now have a low Eb on our beasties to accomodate this
tone. THe low C arises from Russian scores and tradition (see Rimsky's
text of orchestration, Prokfiev symphonies etc) which give the bass
clartinet the same low compass as the faggot. IE, a low C on Bb.

Perversely, the Schoenberg 5 Pieces for orch call for a CONTRABASS
clarinet in A.

Most orchestration textbooks cover this in detail....

RObert Howe