Klarinet Archive - Posting 001275.txt from 1998/03

From: "Brent Eresman" <Beresman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: klarinet-digest V2 #5
Date: Sat, 28 Mar 1998 17:39:49 -0500

> Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1998 05:56:39 EST
> From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.edu>
> Subject: This business of instrumental substitution
>
<snip>
>
> This is the slippery slope that one gets to in all these
> instrumental substitutions, from Till Eulenspiegel's
> D clarinet part, to Mozart K. 622, to Sousa marches played
> by a band without an E-flat cornet, to a wind quintet
> arrangement of Beethoven, Op. 103. In every case, pitch
> has been preserved, but timbre, character, and composer
> intent have not.
>
> It is unchecked instrumental arrogance to presume that these
> things don't matter and that there is no significant impact on
> the music as a result of these decisions.
>
Um, i'm a newbie to the list and have enjoyed (and been educated
by) the variety of topics and thoughts that come up here. Now i
will risk piping up...

As to the matter of substituting instruments, i think there is a
balance to be had. In a major full-time orchestra, there should be
no excuse for not playing what is written the way it is written on
whatever instrument called for. However, those of us who play (or in
my case, only sub) in the small part time orchestras cannot afford a
D clarinet (for example) for a single job. Substituting in this case
affords a small-time orchestra the opportunity to play music
otherwise unavailable to us.

If this line of thinking were taken to its conclusion, then any band
transcriptions of orchestral music would be considered taboo, and
certainly the repertoire would be much poorer for the change. I've
played Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky--well, you know the
list better than i, i'm sure--in band at one time or another, and
compared to the other suff we played, it was great music. Not, to be
sure, the same as the original, but still great music.

Let us play the music as best we can, and strive to give the most
faithful transcription of the composer's intent. But surely there is
forgiveness for those whose budget or talents will not allow the
best.
BERESMAN@-----.COM