Klarinet Archive - Posting 001092.txt from 1997/11

From: Josh-Boy <joshcole@-----.Edu>
Subj: Re: Transcription
Date: Sat, 29 Nov 1997 16:06:48 -0500

My personal philosophy on transcribing from instrument to instrument deals
more along the lines of the original intention of the composer. I feel
that porting a piece to an instrument other than the one it was originally
for is almost telling the composer that he/she was wrong when selecting
that instrument in the first place. Let me explain before I get any death
looks or anythings....

We all know that oboes and clarinets and trumpets , etc., all have a
unique sound. A composer who writes a concerto, solo, so on, writes the
piece with the sound of that particular instrument in mind. Violins and
flutes have very similar sounds in the higher registers, but even still,
the listener can tell the difference. I only see it appropriate to port
solos from instrument to instrument if the instruments sound similar to
each other. Oboe solos would work on soprano saxes; but clarinet solos
don't sound quite the same on sax, or vice versa.

Josh Coleman