Klarinet Archive - Posting 000884.txt from 1998/12

From: "David B. Niethamer" <dnietham@-----.edu>
Subj: [kl] Rye: [Al] Bartok "Contrasts"
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1998 22:45:06 -0500

On 12/22/98 10:07 AM, Teri Here wrote:

>What I'm interested in is hearing any and all comments on this wonderful work
>from anyone who's performed it!

I played this last summer for the 11th or 12th time since the first time
in Grad School. Great piece, and I think I'm starting to learn to play it!

I play the first two mvts. on A, the last entirely on Bb. I spent a lot
of time thinking about the dilemma here. Bartok seems to have wanted the
darker, more mysterious color of the A clarinet for the middle section,
but a reliable clarinet change to A for the middle, and even worse, a
**VERY** quick return to the By for the end was not possible for me.
Making the change made a longer break between the sections than the music
seemed to warrant.

2nd mvt. - see if you can convince the violinist to play the first phrase
without vibrato. Most of them will balk, but if they do it, and you get
the balance exactly right, the sound (IMHO) is hair-raising. Listen very
carefully to who is "on top" - play with a little more expression when
you're on top, and a little less "color" when you're the harmony voice.
Wonderful movement.

A couple of weeks ago, in some context now forgotten, I gave a favorite
fingering for the G4 grace not to the Ab4 (repeated several times). Her
it is again, for convenience sake:

*G* *Ab*

R R
T O T O
X X
X X
_ _
X X F#/C#
X X
O O
Ab/Eb

You have to **TRADE** pinkies on this - if you leave the Ab/Eb pinky in
place, nothing will happen. Properly done, this fingering gives an
aggressive snap to the grace note that makes this passage scream in a
wonderful way.

HTH

David

David Niethamer
Principal Clarinet, Richmond Symphony
dnietham@-----.edu
http://members.aol.com/dbnclar1/

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