Klarinet Archive - Posting 001010.txt from 1998/07

From: Edinger/Gilman <wde1@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Mozart and the right clarinet
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1998 23:35:45 -0400

Dan Leeson wrote:

"Bill Edinger has wandered into one of the most complex and difficult
issues about the history of the clarinet..."

I'm not sure "wandered" is quite as appropriate as "stumbled blindly,"
but since I'm there, I'll ask for some clarification. Dan explained:

"But even though the composer did not cho[o]se a clarinet in X because
of the sound character of a clarinet in X, the choice of instrument
causes that sound character to be part of the pallette of sound, so if
we cho[o]se a different instrument, say a clarinet in Y because we wish
to do so, then we get a different pallette than the composer visualized
in the composition's construction."

I don't understand, so let me play devil's advocate: if the composer
didn't pick a particular instrument because of its sound, it just came
out that way, how can we say that using a different instrument would
differ from what the composer visualized? It would seem that he didn't
actually visualize a sound at all, just a key, and timbre had nothing to
do with it. Is that right? That doesn't seem quite right, especially
for somebody like Mozart.

Let me know if I should give up on this thread, by the way. It may be
too far over my head. On the other hand, that's the only way to grow.

Stumblingly yours,

Bill Edinger

-------------------------------------------------------------------------