Klarinet Archive - Posting 001265.txt from 1998/07

From: Roger Shilcock <roger.shilcock@-----.uk>
Subj: Re: [kl] Mozart and the right clarinet
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1998 14:58:20 -0400

Because I've just been re-reading "The Cambridge companion to the
clarinet", in which it is more than suggested in various places that most
classical basset horns did not have chromatic extensions.
I've only seen two or three or so - but *they* didn't.
Roger Shilcock

On Wed, 29 Jul 1998, Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.edu wrote:

> Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1998 06:38:19 EDT
> From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.edu>
> Reply-To: klarinet@-----.org
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Subject: Re: [kl] Mozart and the right clarinet
>
> > From: MX%"klarinet@-----.23
> > Subj: Re: [kl] Mozart and the right clarinet
>
> > Why he wrote for bassetclar in A could simply have been that:
> > Bassethorn was his original first choice - then "Stodla" came along with
> > an extended clarinet with (we think) d# and c# (which bassethorns
> > generally didn't have), and so... I think this employs Occam's razor.
> > rjs
>
> I do not follow this note. Both basset horn and basset clarinet had
> all semitones from low e down to low c, so why does rjs suggest
> that bassethorns generally did not have them?
>
>
>
> >
> >
> > On Wed, 29 Jul 1998, Bill Hausmann wrote:
> >
> > > Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1998 08:18:35 -0400
> > > From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
> > > Reply-To: klarinet@-----.org
> > > To: klarinet@-----.org
> > > Subject: Re: [kl] Mozart and the right clarinet
> > >
> > > At 01:25 AM 7/27/98 -0700, you wrote:
> > > >Bill Hausmann wrote:
> > > >>
> > > >> >
> > > >> For the K622, I can buy this argument, and maybe for the Quintet and other
> > > >> clarinet solo/chamber works as well. But for symphonies, etc., the logical
> > > >> extension of this argument is that he was tailoring his music to EACH AND
> > > >> EVERY player in the orchestra! I cannot believe that even Mozart, genius
> > > >> that he was, had the excess brainpower, much less the time and inclination,
> > > >> to get that deep into the minor variances of individuals' sounds.
> > > >>
> > > >Very good point about symphony writing but the argument may still stand
> > > >up. While writing the symphony and deciding whether to write the
> > > >clarinet in A or B flat He would be trying to achieve some tonal aspect
> > > >I think we can agree on that point. So knowing the limited number of
> > > >players available could he not have taken that into account. For
> > > >example theoreticaly in his mind he wanted to write for the A. BUt
> > > >realiized theat no player's tone that he knew of at the time on an A
> > > >would live up to the tonal aspect he heard in his mind. However,
> > > >certain players could acheive the sound on B flat so he would write in B
> > > >flat.
> > > >
> > > Where this argument loses me is that, if we assume he is paying that much
> > > attention to one individual CLARINET player and his particular sound, we
> > > must also assume he chose particular keys, even particular notes, to suit
> > > the tone qualities of each oboist, flutist, trumpeter, horn player,
> > > bassoonist, even string player, in the WHOLE orchestra, in EACH piece he
> > > wrote. If so, no wonder he died at 35. The strain killed him!
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Bill Hausmann bhausman@-----.com
> > > 451 Old Orchard Drive http://www.concentric.net/~bhausman
> > > Essexville, MI 48732 http://members.wbs.net/homepages/z/o/o/zoot14.html
> > > ICQ UIN 4862265
> > >
> > > If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is too loud.
> > >
> > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> =======================================
> Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
> Rosanne Leeson, Los Altos, California
> leeson@-----.edu
> =======================================
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>

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