Klarinet Archive - Posting 001082.txt from 1998/07

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.edu>
Subj: RE: [kl] Mozart's choice of instruments
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1998 23:07:42 -0400

> From: MX%"klarinet@-----.10
> Subj: [kl] Mozart's choice of instruments

> I have been reading with interest the discussion concerning Mozart's
> choice of instruments. Here is another perspective: the choice of the
> key of the instrument was of course dictated by the choice of the key of
> the piece -- which was of paramount importance during Mozart's (and
> Beethoven's etc.) time -- BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERENT CHARACTER OF EACH KEY.
> Sadly, we have lost this sense, for the most part, in the twentieth
> century. But for Mozart, A major had a very different feel to it than,
> say E-flat major.

John, it is a well-known and somewhat discredited theory that arose
in the music of the romantic era. It included such notions as
A major is a happy key and D-flat major is a somber key. It distinguished
minor keeps (sad music) from major keys (happy music), and there are
still proponents of those ideas today.

The problem with the theory is that there is absolutely no evidence
to sustain it. It is purely emotional and requires one to accept
the thesis that certain keys had certain psychological effects on
people. It is very easy, once one is told that E major is a happy
(or bright) key, to hear all sorts of happy and bright things in
every piece written in E major. But as interesting as the theory is,
it is all mush and water when you try to find something substantive
in it.

Several things speak against it. For example, when Mozart used
a French horn (or horns) in a prominent position, the piece generally
wound up in E-flat because that was the best tuning crook for horns.
For example, the wind octets K. 375 and K. 388 (in c minor which is
essentially E-flat major since it is the relative minor of E-flat
major), the piano wind quintet, K. 452, and all four horn concerti.

If a piece was written in C major and it had clarinets, then C
clarinets were used. If a piece had trumpets, D major was popular
because that was a great key for the trumpet.

I do not ignore what you suggest, but simply point out that it
is an old theory with no substantive support for the basic premise.

>
> It is a really interesting exercise to compare Mozart's compositions in
> the same key. For instance, have you noticed the similarity between his
> A Major Clarinet Concerto, his A Major Piano concerto, his A major
> Clarinet Quintet, and even his A major symphony? Now listen to some of
> his stuff in E-flat Major, and throw in some of Beethoven's E-flat stuff
> as well, including his Emperor Concerto (E-flat was associated with
> "military.")
>
> This by the way is why the change of key in the Exposition of Sonata
> Allegro form is so important. It is not just contrasting themes, but a
> contrasting "feel" to the key. And this is why it is so important for
> both themes to appear in the tonic in the recapitulation.
>
> Again, sadly very few of us (myself included) really respond to the
> different feel of keys these days, unless we are synesthetic -- unless we
> see colors when we hear sound. I really feel that we are missing the
> bulk of the excitement in pre-twentieth century music.
>
> To recap: the choice of the instrument was predicated on the choice of
> key which carried with it certain emotional content. Ironically, this is
> probably why we think that certain keyed instruments have a particular
> character such as brighter/darker, warmer etc.
>
> Oh, for the good old days!
>
> John P. Varineau
> Associate Conductor, Grand Rapids Symphony
> Conductor, Grand Rapids Youth Symphony
> Faculty (adjunct), Calvin College
> Conductor, Jubal Brass
>
> John P. Varineau
> Associate Conductor, Grand Rapids Symphony
> Conductor, Grand Rapids Youth Symphony
> Faculty (adjunct), Calvin College
> Conductor, Jubal Brass
>
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> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
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Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
Rosanne Leeson, Los Altos, California
leeson@-----.edu
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