Klarinet Archive - Posting 000926.txt from 1998/01

From: SCM9348 <SCM9348@-----.com>
Subj: Re: Yet again, I shall slap myself silly!
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 1998 20:04:56 -0500

In a message dated 98-01-22 00:34:46 EST, you write:

<<
Someone mentioned Dance Movements by Sparke. Other than the second
movement, the piece makes me wanna gag. Sorry - to me it is another
example of a composer who is taking advantadge of what he does know of an
instrument, and saying screw it to what he doesn't. The first clar. parts
are so high that they are ludicrously hard to tune - they need to be
written for Eb Clar, not Bb. And I'm currently playing 3rd clarinet, and
my major problem exists in (I think) the fourth movement: there is an
ostinato that is impossible to play correctly without an aux. Eb/Ab lever
- consecutive 16ths: C# D# E F# G# The C# must be played on the left
because the following D# can be played only on the right. When you reach
the G#, you have to drop back down to C#, but your left pinky is currently
occupied with the G# key...at quarter=134, this

I couldn't agree more with the idea that he is taking way too much advantage
of the nuance areas of the clarinet. In the 4th on the bass part, as everyone
in the group has now seen me struggle with, he throws out a patternless run in
the key of f# centered on the throat tones and B, C, C#, D, D# -- I have the
alternate Eb/Ab lever and it almost doesn't help when you go in and out of
that multiple times! These runs continue nonstop for 4 LINES.. It sure is
fun though :) As for the interpretation of the piece, while I think the 2nd
movement borders on sounding like elevator music, the 1st and 4th have so much
going on that the music has a very complex, multilayered theme to it.. I
dunno, I guess we would have to sit back and listen to it without worrying
about our parts to appreciate it.. As 20th-century as 20th-century gets, no?

--Stephen C. Moore / scm9348@-----.com

   
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