Klarinet Archive - Posting 000108.txt from 1999/03

From: "Steven J Goldman, MD" <sjgoldman@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] About authenticity
Date: Tue, 2 Mar 1999 13:29:17 -0500

But Roger, have you ever heard a serpent played by someone who really could
play it well. Rare as hen's teeth they are. And the senority actually blends
well with period instruments. Now even when the serpent was the instrument
of choice, some people didn't like it (Handel was supposed to have remarked
"Dat vas certainly not the serpent dat tempted Eve"). And think of the
remarks many of us have made about the saxophone! I guess my point is do not
cast off out of hand period instruments just because you have not heard them
played well, or are not attuned to their timbers. I would not want to hear a
tuba in the Music for the Royal fireworks (original version for wind band).

Steve

-----Original Message-----
From: Roger Garrett [mailto:rgarrett@-----.edu]
Subject: Re: [kl] About authenticity

Even more worrisome is the call for serpent. Composers used serpent
because it was the only available bass wind instrument. Tuba eventually
replaced it - and, when performing works which require serpent we must ask
if we want the ugly sound of the serpent or the much more sonorous sound
of the tuba.
___
Roger Garrett
Professor of Clarinet
Director - Concert Band, Symphonic Winds & Titan Band
Advisor - Recording Studio
Illinois Wesleyan University

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