Klarinet Archive - Posting 001352.txt from 1998/07

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Mozart and the right clarinet
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1998 22:52:22 -0400

At 07:09 PM 7/27/98 -0700, Matt Palasik wrote:
>Bill Hausmann wrote:
>> 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!
>>
>ok well maybe imstretchinh this but if my memory of music history class
>serves me corect that even back in Mozarts time ther clarinet was still
>a budding instrument it was not as predominant as oboe or flute. I
>fthis is the case then the argument still holds water. Because even
>today we say everyone has their own unique tone on their particular
>instrumentbut there are some general characteristics we all have. For
>clarinet players some of us have a darker tone or a more mellow tone but
>depending on the situation we can adjust our tone. For example simple
>by using a different reed or barrel. I have heard many peoplke state
>that if they are platying jazz they will use one setup but if they are
>playing in a symphony they will use a different. But if the clarinet
>was still a young instrument at the time perhaps the playerso of that
>time were unable to adapt their tones as easily as other instrument
>players who have been playing instruments that have been around for a
>longer time and many more people have studied this instruments in much
>more detailed then the c larinet and there fore the players would be
>able to adjust their tone for different situations.
>In short if at the time the clarinet players available were not as
>skilled in controlling their tone as say trumpet players because their
>craft had been around longer and therefor could be more refined then
>that of the clarinet, then Mozart may have taken that into account and
>not felt it neccesary to take each player's tone into consideration.
>Because for other instruments the tone had been practiced enough to be
>more controlled then thast of a clarinet.
>
>But if my memory has failed and the clarinet had been around longer then
>I think at that time. Then my argument doesnt hold ater and I concede.
>
Again, at that time the clarinet was such a minor developing instrument I
cannot believe that Mozart would have devoted so much attention to it
throughout his output, although he certainly would have on K622 and other
solo/chamber works where it is a prominent voice. The general tonal
qualities of the clarinet family were certainly recognized and exploited,
probably to a greater degree than by any other composer of the time. But
there is no reason to believe that, on a piece to piece basis, he devoted
any more attention to the subtle variations of sound among various
clarinets/clarinetists than he would to different oboes/oboists,
trumpets/trumpeters, etc.

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.

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