Klarinet Archive - Posting 000933.txt from 1998/12

From: Donald Oehler <dloehler@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Rye: [Al] Bartok "Contrasts"
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1998 04:19:14 -0500

I have played this work so many times now with our trio that I have lost
count, but I always get excited and each performance is an experience.
For
the last movement just transpose the Bb part after the "Bulgarian" theme
onto the A clarinet. Then, change horns (very carefully and quietly!)
while the violin plays the cadenza - you have plenty of time.

I had the good fortune of performing this work in Hungary at the Bartok
festival several years ago. I was VERY surprised to find that the
local musicians from the orchestra came to"hear" the work as they don't
play it at all!

Happy Holidays!
Don Oehler
On Thu, 24 Dec 1998, Carl Schexnayder wrote:

> Hi:
> What recordings of this work would people on the list recommend?
>
> Carl Schexnayder
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: David B. Niethamer <dnietham@-----.edu>
> To: klarinet@-----.org>; Teri Herel
> <CmdrHerel@-----.com>
> Date: Wednesday, December 23, 1998 9:44 PM
> Subject: [kl] Rye: [Al] Bartok "Contrasts"
>
>
> >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/
> >
> >
> >-------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>

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