Klarinet Archive - Posting 001115.txt from 1997/11

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: Transcription
Date: Sat, 29 Nov 1997 23:40:39 -0500

At 02:06 PM 11/29/97 -0700, Josh Coleman wrote:
>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.

We've been through this pretty recently, but I wish at this time to
reiterate my belief that virtually all REASONABLE transcriptions, whether
or not the instrument(s) in question sound like the original, are perfectly
acceptable, desireable, and contribute to the overall expansion of the
literature for everyone. By "reasonable" I mean a transcription of the
Weber Clarinet Concerto #2 for trombone is NOT reasonable, but Rossini
overtures transcribed for concert band ARE.

SOME recent serious works ARE dependent upon particular tone colors and are
exempt from the above broad statement. By and large, I am willing, in fact
eager, to accept this limitation on their dissemination.

Bill Hausmann bhausman@-----.com
451 Old Orchard Drive http://www.concentric.net/~bhausman
Essexville, MI 48732 http://members.wbs.net/homepages/z/o/o/zoot14.html

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is too loud.

   
     Copyright © Woodwind.Org, Inc. All Rights Reserved    Privacy Policy    Contact charette@woodwind.org