Klarinet Archive - Posting 000610.txt from 1997/12

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: R series Selmer Eb Contra
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 22:45:43 -0500

At 06:29 PM 12/11/97 PST, you wrote:
> I suppose that Stravinsky was being silly when he wrote the opening
> solo in the Rite of Spring for very high bassoon instead of, say,
> oboe.
>
> Jeff Chan
> jeff.chan@-----.com
>
>
> on 12/11/97 at 6:31 PM, Bill Hausmann wrote:
>
> Actually, yes, but what is the point of playing altissimo on
> contrabass when you could use clarion on bass, or possibly even
> chalumeau on soprano to play the same note, most likely with better
> tone and intonation? Yes, you can do it, and it is done. But isn't
> it sort of silly?
>
Oboe and bassoon differ enough from each other to negate your argument,
although I frequently harass oboists by referring to their instrument as
the soprano "oon". (Why is there no tenor in the oon family?) In some
cases, especially in recent music, a particular effect is desired requiring
a particular timbre achievable only by stretching the range of an
instrument. But, in the main, it is still silly.

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
ICQ UIN 4862265

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