Klarinet Archive - Posting 001210.txt from 1998/03

From: Sally A Braun <00053386@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: I'm sooooooooo lazy....
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1998 04:12:01 -0500

well, Symphonie Fantastic is an incredible piece, and yes, you are being
lazy. I spent some time researching this piece for a clarinet class and
the answer to your question, at least how I found it, is as follows....

Berlioz used different "keyed" clarinets for the different timbre that
they produce, Eb being the most shrill, C next, and so forth. ( you may
rather use the word "bright" in place of "shrill", but I am playing bass
in the university wind ensemble and I sit right next to the eaffer.....)
Anyway, Berlioz chose the instrument keys for the timbre.....

=^;^=

Sally A. Braun
e-mail: 00053386@-----.edu

_ /| Merrowww!
`o_O' /
=( )=
U
Please send any attachments to me at: sb03431@-----.net

On Wed, 25 Mar 1998, Shouryu Nohe wrote:

> Okay, I recently got ahold of the score to Symphonie Fantastique.
> Marvelous piece, always loved it, blah blah blah.
>
> (Actually, the end of the fourth movement is the coolest...He's on the
> scaffold, the clarinet whines out the whore's theme one last time...and a
> sforzando to chop off the bugger's head...the pizzicato for his head
> bouncing in the basket is a great touch too...then the entire orchestra:
> "He's deaaaaad! He's deaaaaad! He's deaaaaad!" Man...what an awesome
> piece...)
>
> Oh, wait, I had a point to make, didn't I?
> No...I had question. That's it.
>
> Anyways, I got the part, and the first movement was scored for clarinet in
> Sib, or Bb, as it were, and the next in A, and after that, in Bb again.
> Fourth movement was in C, and the final in Eb.
>
> Whew.
>
> Was the late classical/early romantic clarinet that bad that three
> different clarinets had to be used? Or did they just do transposing for
> the C and A parts?
>
> (Yes, I realize that I could go and research this. And yes, Dr. Borchert,
> I know that it is something you'd rather have me do. But it's 9 at night,
> and I'm lazy. :P ... of course, you could always dock my grade
> somehow...)
>
> Anyways...that's all. ^_^
>
> Shouryu Nohe
> Professor of SCSM102, New Mexico State Univ.
> http://web.nmsu.edu/~jnohe; ICQ 6771552
> Coffee Drinker, Musician, Otaku, Jesus Freak, Admirer of Women
> (Not necessarily in that order)
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> "If Shinji is denser than lead, then Rei Ayanami is off the atomic
> scale!" - Sohryuu Asuka
>
>