Klarinet Archive - Posting 000249.txt from 1998/10

From: Roger Shilcock <roger.shilcock@-----.uk>
Subj: Re: [kl] simple question
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1998 06:04:26 -0400

Gomez played everything on an extended B flat, even during his English
career. It is alleged to be quite usual in Spain to do this still.
Roger Shilcock

On Mon, 5 Oct 1998, John Dablin wrote:

> Date: Mon, 05 Oct 1998 10:01:26 +0100
> From: John Dablin <johnd@-----.com>
> Reply-To: klarinet@-----.org
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Subject: Re: [kl] simple question
>
> > It's a Bb, but it goes down to low Eb.
>
> I'm working from memory here because I'm not at home, but in
> "Orchestration" by Walter Piston, a book I usually find authoritative
> about orchestral instruments and which was published ca. 1960, he states
> that some players use a B flat clarinet with an extension to low E flat
> to play all parts, transposing A clarinet parts as necessary. I think
> he said that purists might not consider such a clarinet a true B flat
> instrument. He wasn't confused with bass clarinets, because he said
> that the bass was always made with the low E flat, as no one had ever
> seen a bass clarinet in A.
>
> Since then I've never actually heard of anyone really doing this, but
> then I've never moved in professional orchestral circles. If it was a
> trend it seems to have died out. Have any of the professionals on the
> list ever encountered this?
> --
> John Dablin
> Aylesbury UK
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>

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