Klarinet Archive - Posting 001317.txt from 1998/03

From: avrahm galper <agalper@-----.com>
Subj: THE IMPORTANCE OF SUBSTITUTION
Date: Sat, 28 Mar 1998 17:40:30 -0500

The importance of being second turned into a discussion about
substitution.

We played the Gran Partita once when Han Scherchen came to conduct the
Toronto Symphony and he used English Horns instead of Basset Horns. Now
that is substitution.
I am sure the Mozart didn't turn in his grave and luckily for us, Dan
didn't hear about it.

What I mentioned in my previous post was the fact that in certain spots
(!) a few notes of the second oboe were played by, once a family member,
the English Horn and in a another by the second clarinet.
Of course, when the awkward part was passed, the original 2nd oboe took
over.
Is that called substitution?

Substitution is, for instance, when Mendelssohn wrote for Ophicleide in
his beautiful Midsummer Night Dream overture and it is played nowadays
by a tuba.. That is substitution.

In Tschaikovsky's 6th the first big clarinet solo should be followed
down to the depths by the bassoon. So nowadays we have the bass clarinet
players play it.

In England there was a famous clarinet player, Manuel Gomez who played
everything on a Bb clarinet (that went down to low Eb, of course)
Many people at the opera do that also.

If it can be played on one clarinet or another, to make it easier, like
Eb on D or D on Eb why not?
Who really cares, except purists!

I had promised to include an article by Augustin Duques, the former
principal clarinet of the NBC under Toscanini. He often used clarinets
other than the one written for. I will send it soon.

Avrahm Galper
THE UPBEAT BAERMANN MELODIC SCALE STUDIES
Http://www.sneezy.org/avrahm_galper/index.html